


Molly Weasley the Second

by Frollyy



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Adventure, Angst, Depression, Fluff, Love, Muggle world, Multi, Mystery, Next Generation, Post-Hogwarts, Romance, War, molly weasley II/ teddy lupin - Freeform, new characters - Freeform, purist war, teddy lupin/victoire weasley - Freeform, young adult
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-25
Updated: 2020-06-09
Packaged: 2021-03-02 00:22:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 28,368
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23836078
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Frollyy/pseuds/Frollyy
Summary: This is Molly's story, a girl so bright everyone thought she could hold the world in her hands, but when her best friend dies Molly becomes a shell of what she used to be.Giving up magic was her way of making amends for the guilt she felt, but will she be able to stick to her vow even when those she loves are in danger?
Relationships: Molly Weasley II/ Teddy Lupin
Kudos: 2





	1. Chapter 1

If you asked anyone they would have told you that Molly Weasley the second indeed had it all. If you asked her, she would have told you that she was lost. No, not physically, physically she had always been there, in London, in the apartment she shared with her cousin James, but mentally she wasn’t sure of anything anymore. You might ask why, but it was rather simple. Ten years after leaving Hogwarts she had already realized that the life she had been dreaming of having was out of the question.  
As an 18 year old she was accepted into the Auror program, not just because her uncle run it, but because she was great. She had skills, intuition, intellect and courage, despite being a ravenclaw. She graduated from the program with flying colors a year before everyone else. Her parents and her entire family were beaming with pride on her first day on the job, and for a while everything seemed fine. She was shadowing more experienced aurors and getting her hands dirty, enjoying the product of all her hard work at Hogwarts and in the program. A year and half after she had become an auror herself she and her partner, and long time best friend, Florence Mclaren were assigned to a case. It should have been easy, they just had to apprehend Aldous Wilcox for killing two muggles. They tracked him for a few weeks and after discovering the place where he was hiding they lay down a plan: Molly was going in first and Florence would circle him to cover all the basis, so that he couldn’t escape; but when they arrived they were faced with the most gruesome scene they could have ever imagined.  
They thought it was a one man job, but it turned out Wilcox was part of a bigger group of purists, so when the two young aurors entered the building they were surrounded by dozens of wizards and witches. Hexes flew around, walls were knocked down and in a split second Florence was injured. Molly heard herself scream and cast a deadly spell towards the witch who had cursed her best friend and then, without thinking twice, apparated at St. Mungo.  
The hours that followed were the worst of her life. She was interrogated by her uncle, wanting to know what had happened, who were they and for her to give an official statement. She was tended by the nurses who stitched her up and gave her a potion to relax her nerves all while she was sitting still in the waiting area. Later on, she wouldn’t even remember how long she waited there, but it was 13 hours. She was sitting with some of her colleagues, but most of all with Florence’s family, her mother Abigail, her father John and her younger brother Finn. They were hopeful and tired and all equally beautiful, like they all belonged in a beauty pagent. They all had chesnut hair, bright green eyes and a smile to warm even the coldest days. They were wainting together and she felt like everything would be okay, because Florence was strong, young and because she was too loved to go away.  
Then her life fell apart.  
"We did what we could" they said.  
"The curse got in her blood and poisoned her from within, I'm so sorry" continued the healer with a look of sorrow on his face.  
Florence was dead.  
She didn’t save her.  
She would never see her.  
The months that followed Florence’s death to this day for Molly are a complete fog. She didn’t get out of bed for days, she didn’t speak to anyone, not her parents, not her sister, not her friends. She got up seven months after her passing, got dressed, headed to the Ministry and gave in her resignation. There was no point in being an auror anymore, it didn’t matter what everyone told her. It didn’t matter that her uncle Harry kept his word and was slowly arresting everyone, thanks to memories she agreed to give them. It didn’t matter, because if she couldn’t save someone who was trained and skilled like her best friend, how could she ever dream of protecting others?  
It took her years to come to terms with what had happened. Not that she really did, not completely. How does one come to terms with the death of a best friend? You simply don’t. You just continue to live and hope for the best. That’s what she did, or attempted to do. She vowed to stop using magic, unless strictly necessary, the only form of magic she used is for transportation, because she really passionately disliked muggle travelling.  
So what was Molly doing after that all her dreams collapsed? She worked in a muggle book shop, she lived an ordinary life, pretending that she wasn’t entirely bored by herself. Not that she didn’t like books, she loved books, she just never thought her life would just be sitting behind a counter and sorting out shelves in alphabetical order. She had been living James for a couple of years now and that was one of the most joyful experiences of her life after Florence, James was more like a brother than a cousin, that’s why she decided to move in with him. James was still trying to figure out what to do, but in the meantime he was working at the ministry in the department of magical games and sports, the only thing that he was completely passionate about.  
Their life together was chaotic and funny and simple. James would bring back girls while Molly just pretended she wasn’t there. Molly wouldn’t bring back home anyone, because she just didn’t need the complications of having to tell someone to go away.  
Everyone would think that, despite having given up magic, she was fine and happy, but only she knew that she felt empty and looking for a purpose.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Today she decided to try, unlinke the past few days in which she just went through the motions

It was Saturday morning and she had to go to work so at 7.00 sharp she woke up, she hated being late or having to rush through her routine, she went to the bathroom and looked at her reflection. Her cherry blonde hair was messy, because she had forgotten to dry it the night before, her clear grayish eyes looking at her behind her glasses were tired and puffy. If you asked her she would have said that she was entirely ordinary, if you asked her mum she would have said that Molly and her sister were the two most beautiful creatures on earth and her dad..well, he would just say that they were perfect, because nothing wrong could ever and would ever come from Percy Weasley again.

Her father had softened with the years, everything that happened during Voldemort’s second coming had made him strongly attached to his family and even more so to his younger brother George’s family. Molly understood that, like her, he felt he was the one to blame for her uncle Fred’s passing, and she knew that her father would do anything to switch places with him.

While thinking about the day ahed, she heard James on the other side of the wall cussing and getting up, he usually made breakfast for her, it was an habit he took up shortly after they started living together and it was his way of caring for Molly, since being verbally sweet was like torture for him.

“Good Morning Jay, what….happened to you?” she said raising her eyebrows towards the cousin who inexplicably had a black eye. He looked at her and smiled like he knew he was the centre of the universe and handed her a cup with milk and coffee.

“Good Morning Molls! Well..how to put it, I…met someone…and she was here…” Molly had heard that part the night before, but still let James continue “and she was a bit…rough?” that however, made her laugh. Her head titled back and her belly almost hurt, she was glad she wasn’t alone anymore.

“I must meet her, I like her already!” she responded with a small grin on her face. She sat down at their small round table and started slowly eating, while zapping trough the tv channels putting on the news, she liked knowing what was going on in the muggle world since she lived like one. She looked up at James who had plopped on the couch in front of her and honestly, she thought he was the best version of any Weasley-Potter mash-up: tall, like uncle Harry never was, with dark hair, green eyes with speckles of his mother’s brown and a sense of humor to outshine any of the Weasleys. Since Florence had passed, James had become the one person to always tell her the truth and never coddle her when it wasn’t needed, while everyone else threaded lightly around her, like she could break in a split second. In fairness, she could, but she put up a good and happy front. James had been her other best friend since Hogwarts, they started together, got sorted in two different houses, but still he was on her side and she on his. 

“You know, it’s Saturday today” started James casually, looking back at the red-haired “we could go out for a bit and have a few drinks and meet a few people…I’m talking about a party, clearly, there’s a party at a friend’s place and I would like to go and I think, nay I know you need it. Don’t make me beg, it’s really not a good color on me”

“ What friend?”

“It’s Roger Atlas, he started a few months ago in my office and he’s American and I said we would be there….don’t kill me, come on! I’m not asking you to perform magic and come work at the Ministry, just be a young person and enjoy a Saturday night with your favorite person?”

She sighed, she knew he was right, she needed it and her therapist would have agreed. She was 28 and living like a grandma, not taking advantage of the fact that she was alive and she could go out and have fun. Thinking that made her feel sadder, made her think of the best person she knew and how she was the one who deserved to go out and be free.

“You’re going to your dark place, come back to me Mollyboo, don’t go to your dark place, go get dress, go to work, sell books to muggles and when you come back I’ll have bought pizza and then we’ll go out!”

She looked at him and nodded with a small smile on her face and then she decided she was going to try today, unlike the past few days in which she simply went through the motions. She got out of her pajamas and opened her closet on a sea of bland looking clothes, shrugged her shoulders and picked out highwaisted jeans, a white t-shirt, an oversized blue blazer and tennis shoes. She decided that her reflection looked alright, but her face however was nightmarish to her. While applying some make up, she thought back to the time during the summer holidays of their fifth year in which with Florence and Roxanne she went to a muggle beauty salon to learn how to look pretty and when they got back to the Burrow, where they were all staying, they looked like a bomb of color had exploded on their faces. Blue, green and pink eye-shadow, red lipstick and very orange blusher were consumed, everyone laughed at them and her grandma Molly screamed her lungs out telling them that “nice girls don’t look like that, go wash your faces you three!!”. Only one person came to their defense and it was Teddy, he loved colors.

With Teddy on her mind she shook her head with the hint of a smile and decided she was ready. 

It was mid April, so the sun wasn’t shy and for English standards it was quite warm, still she decided to take alongside her bag a scarf, for when she closed up the shop she was sure there was going to be wind.

“Ok, I’m going, don’t stay all day in front of the tv and I swear to God if you buy pineapple pizza I will destroy your will to live!! See you lateeer” She said and exited their apartment hearing her cousin laugh.

She loved London, she enjoyed how everyone seemed to fit in, how it didn’t seem like anyone minded that the guy at corner of the street clearly was high on something while preaching about aliens. She loved how welcoming it felt and how much culture and books there were to read and soak up. She took the tube at exactly 8.37, like she did every day, exiting at Gloucester Road at 8.53 and arriving on time to open the store at 9.00. 

No one was waiting for her, she was the only one working there and her employer trusted since she had been working there for four years already. The owner of the shop was an elderly lady named Shelly who had a serious problem of hoarding, but had taken Molly under her wing and cared for her very much. When she entered the store for the first time there was no specific order and it was very clear to her that the previous shop assistant was taking advantage of Shelly’s good hearted nature.

The day went by like it always did, the shop had some very loyal customers and some casual ones, but Molly was everyone’s favorite. She would always know what to recommend to people and did so in a matter that would make them want to come back. She was the one selecting the books for the store, ordering them, organizing the shelves and the sections. Basically, she run the shop and Shelly knew it, so she paid her more than the average employer would and that allowed Molly to live a decent life without having to ask her parents for money to pay her rent or her bills. She had taken up drawing in the last few months, so now, in between tasks she would sit at the counter and sketch bookmarkers to give out for free to the customers and they seemed to think it was “such a personal and sweet touch”, like user7635 wrote on their Yelp page. Molly liked that. She couldn’t save anyone from anything, but at least she gave good books recommendations.

She had a call, in the middle of the day, from her granddad, he was still, after all these years not entirely used to phones, so the volume of his voice was always to high.

“Hey Mollyanne, it’s granddad! How are you?” Mollyanne was a sweet nickname he took up for her to separate her from his wife, Molly liked but only if he was the one using it.

“Hello there! It’s ok, I’m about to go to on my lunch break, what about you? Is everything ok?” She would always worry, they were elderly you know, her grandparents, their spirits hadn’t changed but she was always scared about their future.

“Yes, of course everything’s ok, I am calling just because next week it’s nana and I’s wedding anniversary and I wanted to surprise her by having everyone over, can you come?” yelled her granddad and she slapped lightly herself on the forehead, how could she had forgotten. She always had a good memory for dates.

“Sure I’m coming!!! I love that idea, she will be so happy, can I bring anything?”

“Just yourself honey. Ok, I have to go now, I don’t understand what is happening in the lobby right now, such a fuss…whatever, I’ll talk to you soon, love you, bye”

“Ok, bye granpa, Love you”

She wasn’t worried about his comment on the fuss happening at the Ministry, something was always happening there. It was one of the things she missed about it, but she would have never admitted that anyone.

She got home at 6.47, James was in the shower and had left a note on the table saying to pay the pizza guy with his money and she did so half an hour later when he rang the bell. Her cousin emerged from his room smelling a cologne that she didn’t recognize and was very strong. So strong that she curled her nose and looked at him with a questioning look on her face.

“Ehm… Jay..why do you smell like you should be in an 80’s porn movie?”

“That bad? Come one, it thought it was alright, the shop assistant said it was a best seller!!”

“Are you sure she wasn’t joking? Just open the windows and let it air out..if we are going to this party and you smell like that it’ll be a buzz kill, I can assure you that much! Now, come on, let’s eat, I’m famished. Oh, by the way, did granpa call you?”

And just like that the dinner went by and Molly secretly hoped that James wouldn’t look at the watch to see that they were sort of late for the party and forget that there was a party, because despite deciding she wanted to try to day, she felt exhausted.

“Oh Merlin, Mollssss since when do you like to be late?!” He said with a look on his face that scarily reminded him of his mother “get up, go change, ‘cause you can’t to a party dressed like a very underwhelmed librarian and let’s go! I want to get drunk and dance and not think about the report that I’m supposed to be writing!”

But he did remember about the party, so Molly got up and went to the bathroom. Looking at herself she licked her lips and wondered what was wrong with her. Why can’t you even try? She felt like the biggest loser in the world and tears started to well up, but she shook her head.

“It’s just a party” she mumbled to herself.

After a good forty minutes, she got out of her bedroom wearing a midi red dress, with black boots and a black blazer. Her hair went straight down, stopping slightly after her shoulders, on her face a bit of make up made her look more lively and while she was putting on a cross body bag James complimented her.

“See? At least it’s sexy-ish librarian, you look good Molls, do you have the keys?” She nodded and he took her hand and together they apparated in front of a brownstone on the other side of the town, you wouldn’t have been able to tell that there was a party going one somewhere in there, but the cousins knew that it was because of the spells he used to not get caught.

When they got up, Molly felt overwhelmed.

There was magic everywhere, portable fireworks, clearly the work of their uncle George, fiery drinks and creatures singing live. Her train of thought was interrupted by someone coming up to them to talk to James, he was older than him, but still in his thirties, shorter than him, blonde and with brown eyes. A gentle smile widened on his face when he introduced himself, speaking at a high volume due to the music playing in the background.

“Hi!! Thank you for coming, I’m Roger, nice to meet you! James spoke highly of you” he said in his very evident American accent.

“I’m sure he did only out of courtesy, I’m Molly” she jokingly said. For a person who just arrived to London, he sure seemed to have made a good impression on the people he met since the house was packed with ministry employee, some of which Molly had already met in her days as an auror.

Someone stood out to her, like he always did, Teddy towered over almost everyone and his bright turquoise hair sure made him more visible. Teddy was family, but Teddy was also the one her desired for years. Victoire and Teddy seemed to be a perfect match on paper, but in reality they clashed all the time, they cared for each other, it was impossible not to care for either of them, but eventually the broke up as quickly as they started dating. Molly never thought to ask Victoire if she would mind her getting closer to Teddy and she never tried to see if he reciprocated because, well…why would he? 

With that question in mind she turned around and went the opposite direction, looking for something to drink. She saw people she knew and they didn’t know what to say to her, but it was ok, she was mingling like she promised James she would. 

At some point, during the evening she saw her cousin dancing with some random girl and Roger kissing a man she used to work with and they were all the centre of the living room and that made her smile. Even before everything happened she would have never dared to be the centre of attention, it was not in her nature. She had to admit she was enjoying herself, maybe it was that she was on her third drink, or maybe it was that finally they started playing some muggle music she liked, but she found herself dancing on the spot next to a girl she didn’t know.

She felt a tap on her shoulder and looking up she saw the bright blue and inquisitive eyes of Teddy Lupin. She smiled and felt something move in her stomach.

“I didn’t know you were coming Molls”

“I really didn’t want to”

“Well..I’m leaving now, I wish I had seen you sooner”

“You don’t have to leave though..you can stay”

Where was that coming from? She didn’t know and, probably, she would regret that the morning after, but right then in that moment, it felt good to say that.

“I..don’t know, I work to do tomorrow and..” leaning towards her he whispered in her hear “I am too old for these things” he gave her a smile and something clicked in her. She took his hand, something she hadn’t done since she was a toddler playing with him at the burrow, and dragged him to the centre of the room, close to James and a bunch of other people that she didn’t know and she started dancing. He was confused and maybe slightly worried about this version of Molly he had never met, but then decided to give in and dance with her to the rhythm of a Britney Spears song.

Molly looked beautiful. Her hair dancing with her, her red dress moving along with her hips and her full lips curved in a happy smile.

Teddy felt something in that moment he thought he shouldn’t feel, but allowed it anyway, for he too was in the moment.

She had fun.

She hadn’t had fun in years and that night was fun.

She was a bit drunk and a bit loud and bit confused by herself but she didn’t regret going out, for the first time in years.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She didn't know what to do, so she resolved in doing nothing. 

When she got up, that Sunday morning she saw that she had slept in longer than she would normally do, in fact checking her phone she saw 5 texts from her mum, wondering what had happened to her, a missed phone call from her sister Lucy and a voicemail from Teddy.

She felt a shiver down her spine remembering dancing with Teddy the previous night, everything else that followed was kind of a blur. Nothing scandalous happened, no amount of alcohol could possibly be enough for her to forget that Teddy had been with her cousin and that would account as breaking an unspoken rule. But seeing that voicemail made her wish that things were different.

She pondered what to do and decided that she was going to ignore the problem for the time being and called her sister. It was always loud and heartwarming talking to her, she was in Spain at the moment, she was working as a reporter for the Daily Prophet and had started a column about foreign wizarding worlds, so far she had been in China, Norway and Spain was her third stop. Lucy was 5 years younger than her and if you asked Molly, Lucy was better than her. The little sister idolized Molly, to the point in which as a 12 year old she decided she wanted the same hair color as her and tried to dye her brown locks. Now that they were all grown up, Lucy still looked up to Molly, even though to the latter there was no reason to. Hearing from Lucy was a highlight in Molly’s weeks, which otherwise would have been repetitive and dull.

“But Luce are coming next week for the surprise party at the Burrow?” Molly asked while getting up from her bed. She went into the living area where she saw an unidentified girl making herself tea and she titled her head, pursing her lips. The girl was wearing James’ t-shirt from the night before and with her bare legs she made Molly shiver.

“I think, I should have everything I need by Wednesday tops, so I can edit it and turn it by Thursday night. At least that’s my plan..you know that here the school is not divided into houses ? They just have dormitories and only those whose parents live far sleep here, if your family lives in the city you go back home for dinner and to sleep and on the weekends! Isn’t it weird? They have very little school pride, unlike us!!” Her sister could have talked for hours about the things she saw and experienced and Molly would let her, because she found it be soothing. She peeped out in James’ room to signal to him what was happening in the kitchen and she heard him mumble that he had hoped she had left, and with that he was up and about to have an awkward conversation with the girl.

The conversation with her sister did indeed last for about an hour and by the time she got out again of her room, there was no one in sight. She saw a note on the fridge that her cousin had left, he had gone out for a run and she shouldn’t wait for him to have lunch. Sundays were the worst for her. There was nothing to occupy her mind and there was always so much silence. She always gave herself tasks: clean the kitchen, change the sheets, shower. But they were never enough.

Her therapist would say to her that it is not wrong to dwell on the past, so long as you can accept that you can’t change it and you are not at fault. Years had gone by since Florence’s passing, but she couldn’t help but feel at fault, even when her family had told her that there was nothing that she should be forgiven for.

She skipped lunch, like she would do when James wasn’t around, and got back to bed. She always felt drained and trapped in her own mind.

Opening up the drawer of the nightstand she took out her wand, she never carried it anymore and once or twice she was on the verge of breaking it, but she always felt the strong connection with it, so she could never bear to do it. She traced her finger over it and smelled the sycamore wood and put it back. Next to it lay a photo album, she sat a little straighter and stared at the picture in the front for a long minute. It was just her on her first day as a trainee auror, underneath a banner that her parents had painted that read “Molly Weasley Jr, The Auror”. The album was a present from them, so she could fill it up with the memories and memorabilia she got. The red-haired pondered what to do, did she really want to put herself through the pain again? Did she really want to see Flo’s smiling face when they finished their final test?

She did and she didn’t.

She didn’t remember falling asleep, but she did hugging the album. She was under her duvet and he pillow was wet with tears, she was tired of feeling like this, but she also didn’t think she deserved better. Shrugging of the feeling of loneliness and failure she took her phone out, looking at the screen it said it was almost 6 p.m.

“Hey Molls, uhm..it’s me..Teddy..I don’t know if you have my number, of course you do..why wouldn’t you? Anyway, I’m rambling, I just wanted to say it was nice seeing you last night, you uhm..you looked…seemed to be having fun. Yeah, that’s what I wanted to say, I guess I’ll see you next week..at the Burrow, you’ll be there right? Or sooner..I don’t know, happy Sunday Moll”.

Teddy’s voice was echoing in her hear. She felt happy and that in return made her mad. Why would he leave her a voicemail? Why not a simple text? Why nothing? The problem was that she had been burying everything she ever felt for him for years and had convinced herself that nothing was ever going to happen, but whenever he was around, her heart would skip beats like they didn’t matter. Her mind, on the other hand, was adamant that that wasn’t going to happened and that she better just move on.

So she was happy and mad all together. Did she have to respond? What was the protocol when your cousin’s ex boyfriend leaves a voicemail to you? Granted, they had been together years prior and only for eight months, but that didn’t matter, or did it?

She didn’t know what to do, so she resolved in doing nothing.

She felt the weight of not having answered to him all week, she didn’t even have the courage to admit it to James, the only other person alive who knew how she felt. He had grown up with Teddy and according to him, but also everyone else who met him, he was the most resourceful, sweet, caring, smart person you could ever meet. And he wasn’t wrong, but Molly also thought that he was extremely handsome and that his smile could do magic on its own. She wrote and cancelled so many texts to him during that week that she felt like she was fourteen again and deciding what to write to Jacob Edwards, the cute boy from Slytherin.

Her train of thought was abruptly interrupted by Shelly’s entrance in the store, the owner was wearing a bejeweled shawl and a turban, dark red lipstick and the smallest handbag in bright orange. In all honesty, that wasn’t a very surprising entry for Molly, she smiled at Shelly and waited for her to be the one starting the conversation, because she knew the woman liked to be the one stirring the direction.

“So, good morning my dear. How are you? You look rather dreadful this morning, have you been sleeping at all?” and without letting the girl answer any of her questions she continued “I have a small favor to ask. I mean, I am not really asking, it is my store after all” said laughing at herself “I have got a grandson, do you remember him? Samuel, Sam..oh don’t remember what name he goes by these days, anyway, he is need of a job and will be joining you for the foreseeable future. Don’t worry, your salary will remain the same, I don’t think he’ll stay for long here..oh, here he is! Samuel darling, come in at once!!”

Molly was quite annoyed at the news. She had her system, she had her space and would have preferred it to be left that way, but she couldn’t show that to Shelly, after all she had been so thoughtful towards her, so she smiled when her grandson walked in the shop. He was not the tallest, with buzz cut hair and hazel eyes, he approached his grandmother passing an arm over her shoulders and smiling, which made Molly even angrier because no one from Shelly’s family would ever be available whenever she needed to go to the hospital for her monthly check up, but when they were in need of money they all came running to her. Money was no object for her, she was descendent from a count or a duke, Molly didn’t really remember, but she had money and properties which she vowed to never give to her children if they didn’t earn them.

“Hi, Samuel. Nice to meet you, I’m Molly”

“ It’s Sam, please. Likewise, so Grandma tells me you’ve been running things around here, but you could use a second pair of eyes, you know…we could do some refurnishing in this place.”

“Well..it’s not my place to buy furniture Sam, but the sales are great and the profits too..so..”

Their conversation was interrupted by Shelly who slapped her grandson on his head.

“She is in control here, young man. You do what she says, end of story.”

Molly felt proud for the first time in a long time, someone had acknowledged her abilities and she felt a rush of affection for that woman, who had taken a chance on a girl without a résumé.

So the week came to an end and Molly hadn’t even started scratching the surface of the things she had to teach Sam about running the store, about her filing system and book keeping. When she got home, Saturday afternoon she was exhausted. She curled up on her bed and called for James, who unsurprisingly to her, was watching television.

“Yo, I interrupted my film for you, what up?”

“So sweet of you. At what time is it tomorrow? I forgot to ask granpa.”

“We have to be there at 10 to help set up, they’ll be back by 12 and surpriseeee” he yelled jumping on her bed and shaking her. Molly head was hurting and she had beg him to stop because the whole room was spinning. She had been migraines for years now, she was just a child when she had her first one and at the time she was positive her head was about to explode, now she lived with the pain when they came, if it wasn’t for the fact that sometimes they would make her throw up out of pain. That was one of those times. Fortunately, her cousin still used magic and cleaned up her bed for her.

While she was laying down, all she could think was that she really didn’t feel like going to the Burrow the following day. Yes, it would be lovely, but it would also mean seeing Teddy and having to hear about everyone’s fantastic lives and she didn’t feel up to the task at the moment. 

But she had promised, so when her alarm clock rung at 8.00 she got up, knocked on James’ door to wake him up, got the shower running and almost threw herself under the warm water. Molly would have liked to think that she didn’t care about the way she looked, but the truth is that she did. Once upon a time, she ever cared more. Once upon a time, she even a boyfriend whose opinion on her she valued. Now, no boyfriend but still, she made an effort, it was part of the front that she put up. If everyone saw here dressed nicely and with a smile, she realized that they were less inclined to ask questions about whether she was still going to therapy or not or whether she would ever start using magic again or not. So she put on that spring black dress with little daisies on, a jean jacket and white tennis shoes, put on make up and waited for her cousin to be ready. He would always manage to spend more time getting ready than her, how and why she didn’t know and she didn’t care to find out.

They appareted to the Burrow and it was already mayhem, not everyone had arrived but her relatives were all organizing the food and the decorations that read “Congrats Arthur and Molly”, they had been married for 50 years, congratulations were indeed in order. Molly said hello to everyone that spotter her sister who at her sight let a shriek out and ran towards her. It always felt good to know that someone so good as Lucy loved you. Together they helped their aunt Angelina free the garden from gnomes and at exactly five minutes to 12 uncle Charlie warned the whole family that the grandparents were arriving. The clan hid in decorated backyard and when the two elderly entered surprised them by popping up. Her grandmother’s eye filled with happy tears and her grandfather was beaming with happiness for having pulled of the surprise.

Grandma Molly hugged and kissed every family member while still holding Arthur’s hand, she had suffered so much in her life and Molly wondered how she was still able to smile. But her grandma did and it was the loveliest of smiles.

The backward was clean and filled with rose bushes, banners run across the Weasley property and a long table was placed in the middle to make room for friends and family of the couple. Molly was careful to sit between her sister and her father, as far as possible from Teddy and conversations involving him. Like any of the Weasley’s gatherings this one was loud and music was played and so was quidditch. Her cousin Albus asked her to play, since she was a chaser at Hogwarts, she wasn’t sure at first, but the look on her mother’s face compelled her to. Audrey Weasley was a tall, thin and often severe looking women, but when one came to know her, she was soft and warm and caring. Like any mother, she only wanted the best for her two beloved daughters.

Molly nodded at Al and took an old broom out of the shed and sat on it. On the one side there was Molly, James, aunt Ginny, uncle Bill, Roxanne and Hugo and on the other there was uncle Harry, uncle Ron, Teddy, Lily, Al, Uncle George and Dominique. Aunt Hermione was refereeing, she didn’t like to play, but she loved the rules and enforcing them, so while everyone of the remaining guests were cheering, the two teams lift up the air and the match begun. The biggest problem was that James wanted to beat his father in capturing the golden snitch, but the man was fast, despite not having played quidditch in years it was in his blood.

While up in the air, flying and playing with her family Molly felt as light as a feather, like she had no worries in the world.

“Moll, are you avoiding me?”

She lowered her head avoiding a buldger and looked at Teddy, he had the quaffle under his armpit and a questionig look on his face.  
She should have seen that coming.

“No I’m not, just here to win a game!” and with that she flw around him to snatch the quaffle away from him then she flew to score another ten points.

It was a long match and Molly together with her aunt scored 350 points for their team, however, they were beaten by 50.

Harry Potter had once again, caught the snitch.

It’s safe to say, James wasn’t very happy, his all existence he had been battling his father’s notoriety, his ability on the broom and with the wand, Molly knew how deeply that had affected him in his forming years, so she smiled at her cousin, patting him on the shoulder. 

Her forehead was pearly with sweat and her cheeks were flushed, so she lay on the grass with her eyes closed and a shy smile on her face. Now, she was happy she had forced herself out of the house.

“So, you’re not avoiding me, but you’re straight up ignoring me”

Teddy was laying down next to her with a giant smile on his face, his hair was bright red today, but his eyes never changed.

“I’m not ignoring you, why would you say that?” she knew she was lying. She just didn’t know how to defend herself.

“I left you a voicemail, I was happy to see you last week. Feels like we haven’t hung out in years”

“Because we haven’t Ted”

“Well.. you’re right, but it feels weird, we’re family. I’d like to see you more often..”

She turned her head towards him and nodded, then closed her eyes again, with a smile. She had been waiting to hear words like those for years, but there was a voice in the back of her mind saying that she shouldn’t feel happy, she had no right to.

She felt Teddy’s hand give her a peck on her face and heard James call her name, it was time to go home.

“See you soon Ted”

She didn’t wait to hear him say it back, she appareted home and once there she didn’t speak to James, didn’t tell him what had happened, she went in her room and burst up crying, she didn’t precisely know why. It had been a good day overall, but she felt torn and sad and happy and confused.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When she stopped, he gave her a smile, and she felt warmth in her heart.

Molly had been going to therapy for a year now. It was a step she took after one night she found herself in a muggle bar, crying in front of a man she had gone on a date with. That was the second time they had met, he asked her about her past, she was clutching a wine glass and her mind flashed back to years prior. She saw spells being casted and blood dripping off of collapsed walls, she believe she had seen Florence’s ghost in that moment, even though she knew her best friend would never come back as a ghost, she was strong enough to know she needed to move on. Tears came flooding in her eyes and her date, baffled at the sight didn’t know what to do. She drank and cried for hours, silently in the corner booth and when her date left she stayed there, letting her tired grayish eyes dry and once she got up she told herself she needed to get better.   
Her therapist was a middle aged black man, she knew he had studied at Oxford because he displayed not only his degree but also memorabilia from his years at the prestigious school. He was calm and had a soothing voice, he gave her relaxation exercises to practice whenever she felt stressed and during their hour long Wednesday meetings he would listen to her addressing all her fears. Granted it was difficult talking to a muggle about a wizarding experience and trauma, but she found a way around it. She did find comfort in those therapy sessions, but she knew she had a long way to go. Alongside Florence on that day she had also lost her drive, her belief that she deserved something great in life and that she was worth of living. During therapy it was the first time she had ever said out loud to someone that she had contemplated committing suicide for years, but that she wasn’t brave enough to do it. She had thought about jumping off of a roof, but was afraid that her instinct would kick in and that she would decide to apparate and save herself, she had thought about poison, but what if James came back and found her? She was sure he would have saved her. Her therapist revealed to her that probably, if she really wanted to die, she would have been dead already and that there was surely a part, maybe tiny, of her who believe she was worth at least trying.   
So trying it was.   
On that Wednesday, she talked about Teddy. It was no surprise to her that the man was on her mind and had been for the past few days, she kept going back to two things he said: “we’re family” and “I’d like see more of you”.   
“I know that this are not actual problems, are they? I don’t know. The thing is I know I have loved Teddy for years, but it was always something that couldn’t and wouldn’t happen. Sure, when I was in the au..the police department we worked together and he taught me so much and we used to go out for drinks and such, but I had boyfriends and I did love them, so am I in love with Teddy or the idea of him, because he was never mine?”   
The therapist looked at her then closed his eyes and smiled.   
“Molly you say nothing could happen, but you don’t know that for certain do you?”   
“Well no, I don’t, but again he was my cousin’s boyfriend years ago and that’s family code? Girl code? A code, for sure. But also, he said, we’re family. I have pictures of him holding me as an infant, I’m sure he meant nothing by it, but does that bother me? Doc, the fact is that, why am I the one who was saved on that day? Why me and why not Florence? She was better than me, she should be the one living and having boy problems and I don’t know…I can’t shake the guilt.”   
Molly looked at the clock on the pale green wall, her hour was almost up. She let her therapist speak, she knew he was going to give her a task or something to reflect on.   
“Molly, I’m going to need you to call this man and just talk to him. Not about your feelings, that should be your decision, but about the reason why you decided to stay away from him. Talk to him about Florence. Only you, and maybe your cousin James, really know the depth of you have been feeling for all these years. It’s not fair on your soul and on your spirit. Also, Molly..I think it’s time for us to consider some medication. I’m talking about anything strong really, just something to get you through some rough moments..what do you think? I believe the first step is for you to actually unburden your shoulders of everything that you’ve been carrying around all these years. Start with Teddy and next week we’ll figure out the rest”  
She sighed and scratched her neck for a second, before nodding and saying goodbye to him. She had to go back to work, her lunch break was almost up and she wasn’t sure that Sam had actually done any of the work she had asked him to do. She had a lot to process of what the therapist had told her. She didn’t want to give in and start taking medication, also she wasn’t sure muggle medication would work on her..so that was something else she needed to work out before going back the following week.   
The girl took out her phone from her bag and saw a text from Roxanne, her fierce cousin who had been working with her father at the family shop since she had finished school, who was letting her know that she would be introducing her girlfriend to everyone in the coming weeks and was looking for a bit of support and encouragement. 

“It’ll be great Rox. Annie is amazing, I’m so proud of you for doing this. I love you, everyone does. Call me if you need anything” 

She texted back while she was entering the book store. Once she looked around she was sure she was about to have a fit of rage like she hadn’t had in years. Sam was nowhere to be found, a long queue of people had been formed in front of the cashier and the boxes that were supposed to organized and shelved were still laying on the ground.   
“Sorry everyone, I hope you haven’t been waiting that long. There’s another assistant but at the moment he is uhm..busy. But I’m here! Okay..let’s see what we got.”   
She smiled at the first customer of the line and once everyone had left satisfied and with their books she screamed of Sam, but heard no answer. She wasn’t sure where on earth he had gone and she didn’t even have his phone number, but surely enough she wasn’t going to look for him. She had work to do and a busy mind, she didn’t need any other distractions that day. Looking at the stack of boxes filled with books she let out a curse word, she was annoyed that he hadn’t done anything and she was also annoyed that she was glad that he hadn’t screwed her system up, by putting the books on the shelves.   
While she was sitting on the floor, in between two very tall book cases the heard the bell of the door jingle and got up to see her father walk in. Percy Weasley was always in his best clothes for work, after all he was the head of the international cooperation department, he needed to set an example for his subordinates. He was always stern at work, but at the first sight of any of his relatives his face would warm up in a smile. He took his hat down, revealing the signature Weasley red hair streaked with white, and opened his arms, waiting for his first born to give a hug.   
“Dad, what are you doing here?” she asked with her face laying on his shoulder.   
“I know you have therapy on Wednesdays, I know you don’t talk about it, but I had some free time, so I thought I could stop by..is this a bad time?”   
Molly felt extremely happy by her father’s surprise visit, he usually was one of many words, but on that particular afternoon he listened and listened to his daughter complain about Sam and about she felt like she could do more, but never once Percy dared to give his personal opinion. He was there for her, it wasn’t his place to tell his grown up 28 year-old daughter want to do. He knew that those were her decisions to make. The girl wasn’t sure that he really had time off, but she liked that he was there and helped her in the shop for a bit, after all, everything she knew about books was because he taught her.   
“Thanks for stopping by dad” she said with a glimmering look in her eyes. She was sure that if he had said something remotely nice she would have cried, and he knew it. So he smiled and gave her a kiss on the forehead, saying that him and her mother would be waiting for her on Sunday to have a family roast dinner.   
The rest of that long day fortunately for the young woman rushed and when she got back home, it was empty. James was a hard worker, so during the week he wouldn’t come home until she was fast asleep. His department was organizing a wizarding competition in which witches and wizards from all around the world would challenge each other in tournaments to elect the best dueler . He had thought of the competition, it was his baby and he was working day and night to see it to fruition alongside Percy’s department. Molly took off her jeans and t-shirt and wandered around the apartment in her mismatched underwear, sorting out the kitchen and the living room. She decided that she had earned a beer so she opened the fridge to find that, yes beer was there but her cousin had forgotten that it was his turn to buy groceries.   
“great..” she mumbled looking around, she didn’t know what to do, by the time she had notice that they didn’t have enough food for dinner the shops were already closed, so she just decided she didn’t care. Took the six pack of beers, plopped herself on the couch, without bothering to punt on clothes and opened the first beer while turning on the tv. That’s how she spent the evening but by the third beer, she was a bit drunk and a lot hungry, so she decided to call the usual burger place and have it deliver it. 

“Uhm, yes..hi, it’s Molly, Weasley..I know I call too much, you must be making a lot of money with my orders, but anyway, can I please get a cheeseburger with fries and extra ketchup?”

“Moll? It’s Teddy..”

“Oh shit. What? Damn it, I mean to call the pub. I’m sorry, I had a bit to drink and I didn’t eat, whatever sorry, bye”

She felt like she wanted to disappear. What in Merlin’s name had she done? Why couldn’t she just check twice that the number was correct? She saw her phone’s screen light up with Teddy’s name but she decided to turn it off. She wasn’t going to entertain a conversation with him in that state.   
“Molly what is wrong with you? Why can’t you just act like a fucking normal person? Why do have to make things so awkward all the time? Ooooh everyone could see me now they would understand they were so fucking wrong. Molly the great! Molly the smartest girl of her age! Molly you’re going to make a great auror! Yeah the fuck I am.” She said looking at her reflection on the hallway mirror. She pointed her index at her face and continued “you’re a failure my friend. You suck so bad. Who the fuck convinced you that you could lead a normal life? You killed Florence. You told her it would be a piece of cake arresting the dirt bag. Now? Now? She is dead. GOOD JOB YOU!” she screamed to herself, she couldn’t believe her eyes were still not dry and she still had tears to cry. 

She let herself fall on the floor and hugged her knees. 

She was tired and hungry. 

The room was spinning and she didn’t even hear Teddy apparate in the room. 

“Molls…” he leaned over her and put a large hand on her hair. “What is happening, what’s wrong?”  
“everything. She is dead Teddy and it’s my fault. I..I…I don’t know. I want this to end.”   
He looked at her and sat down next to her, his arm embracing her partially naked body with his head touching hers. They were quietly sitting there. He didn’t ask any other question. He understood now that she had been faking all along. That she wasn’t good, like she had been pretending to be all these past years, that what had happened on that day was eating her up and consuming her life.   
“you know Moll..you’re not alone. We’re all here for you, let me be here for you..I know how it feels.” And he really did. He too had lost a partner in the line of duty, his friendship with Josh wasn’t as strong as hers with Florence, but Teddy understood the guilt that came with it. She looked up at him, her eyes red and puffy, her cheeks flushed red with black streaks all over them.   
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you Ted. I’ll be all right, I always am. I didn’t mean to interrupt your evening..just forget this happened..” it sounded more like a question and less like a statement, but Teddy was never going to forget. He had known this woman since the day she was born, he had seen her grow and transform into the most promising young auror ever and he had seen break down and give. He was blaming himself for not understanding the depth of her misery, he felt like he had failed her. Without saying another word he took her in his arms and brought her into her bedroom laying her under the duvet. He sat on top of them and stared into her eyes, his hair had turned black, something unusual she had never seen before. She had sobered up and was now feeling ashamed of how she had acted, but remembering the task given to her by her therapist that afternoon, she licked her lips and began talking.   
She didn’t mention her feelings for him, she wasn’t crazy, but she talked for longer than she had ever talked to anyone about what had happened that day. She heard James coming home, but even than she didn’t stop and the cousin didn’t come in her room. She recalled every detail, the look of surprise on Florence’s face when she was hit. The smell of blood and burnt wood that was fluttering in the room when they first entered and that the leader of the purists had said “finally” when the two showed up. She told him about the despair she felt afterwards and how for the longest time she felt like she couldn’t feel anything for anyone. Her boyfriend had broken up with her a few months after Florence’s death, he thought she would get over it sooner. She talked and talked and talked until it felt like her throat was being dried and he never interrupted her once. When she stopped, he gave her a smile, and she felt warmth in her heart.   
“Thank you, for opening to me. I..wish I had known sooner, you don’t deserve to go through this alone”   
Her therapist was right and Teddy too. She didn’t have to carry all on her shoulders and speaking to the man in front of her had actually helped, not because he could understand, but because he wouldn’t judge her. When she continued telling him that she had pondered death he opened his mouth forming a perfect “o” and closed it again. Now she was fiddling with the hem of the duvet and couldn’t look him in the eye after revealing that to him, but to her surprise he didn’t scold her, he didn’t yell, he didn’t tell her that she was crazy.   
“the world would have been a much uglier place without Moll, I have known this since you were a child. Do you remember the first time you showed magic? I do. Lily was upset in her crib and you leaned over her, smiled and produced a shower of glimmering lights over her. She laughed for the first time that day, it was pure joy.”   
She didn’t recall that, which made her smile, because she had always prided herself on her great memory. Teddy smiled, putting an hand on her face shaking it a bit.   
“you know I did avoid you in the past, your life..your friends..everything reminded me of what I had lost Ted, I’m sorry I cut you out. Forgive me..?” she added looking straight into his vibrant blue eye for the first time in hours. She knew that that was only the beginning of a very long journey to recovery and that probably she was going to feel like shit many more time, but for that moment she was happy that she wasn’t alone and that she had been able to talk to Teddy about it. She sat herself on the bed, using the duvet to cover herself up, now that she was sober she was also regaining her modesty and feeling a bit embarrassed that he had seen her in her underwear. 

“nothing to forgive Moll, I understand.” 

He leaned over and kissed her forehead, saying that he had to go, she wished he didn’t, and he would call her the following day. He smiled at her and with a wink he was gone.

She sat there, looking at the spot he had just left and passed her fingers over her forehead, let out a sigh and turned out the lights. She desperately needed to sleep, her head was getting heavy and feeling all of her emotions had worn her out. It seemed like Wednesday had lasted a lifetime.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She was sad, tired, confused and, once again, heartbroken.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a longer chapter than the previous and we are really picking up the pace of the story. I hope you like where this is going and if you do, I'll be really happy if you let me know! Thank you for reading and stopping by :)

The night sky was clear, but the starts were nowhere to be found. There were too many skyscrapers and beaming lights in London for the stars to make an appearance. Molly and James shared a flat in an old building, like many in the city, which had paper thin walls and very noisy neighbors. There was one perk of living there, it had a terrace roof top, so Molly had taken up the habit of going up there to enjoy the lovely fresh breeze of the night. She had taken up there a couple of chairs and a few plants, and no one seemed to care that she had done so. She was sitting there, with her nose up in the air and her eyes closed. Several weeks had passed since she had opened up to Teddy, she wouldn’t dare to dream that everything would magically become okay and that she would just wake up one day and be fine with everything that had happened, but gradually she was coming to terms with life. Her relationship with Teddy had gone back, sort of, to what it had been when they worked together. They were friends and she confided in him and so did he, they would go out, but never alone, Molly would never allow that to happen, she wasn’t going to indulge in fantasies about romance, but it was nice. James also liked that Molly was being more active, he never complained, never said a word about being Molly’s only confidant, but she realized it was weighing on him to be the only bearer of her soul and she knew she couldn’t do that to him. Not his best friend.   
She had a glass in her right hand and opening her eyes she weighed whether she should drink the gin or not. That was another habit she had taken up, no more beer, that had a weird effect on her, but a little gin after dinner on the rooftop was just a pleasant way to spend an hour before going to bed. But maybe, she said to herself, it has become too much of an habit. She didn’t finish the drink.   
“I should take up something healthier…like working out or something..?” she said to herself out loud and then laughed. She would never do that, those days were really behind her, those in which going for a jog was a stress reliever. Florence and Molly started to go for runs together back at Hogwarts, they would circle the lake and end up at Hagrid’s on Sundays to have a cup of tea before lunch. After Florence she continued to run but it was her way to push her boundaries and run till everything in her body hurt, later on, she would understand that that counted as self-harming. She took her phone out, the screen said it was just 10.30 pm and while the screen was light up her mother’s name popped up. She was calling her.   
“Moll? Moll? Can you hear me? Where are you? Moll?” She heard her mother scream and her voice was breaking up. She couldn’t understand what was going on, in the background she heard loud noises and banging and people screaming.   
“Mum!! What’s going on? Where are you? Are you ok?” She got up from the chair heading for the stairs to go back to her apartment. Her mother should have been at home at that hour. “Where’s dad? Mum what’s happening?”   
“Baby you need to go to the burrow, please, do as I say. Pack the essential and please, bring your wand” her mum didn’t even give her time to answer that she had already hung up. She was worried and confused, what could possibly be happening that her mother would call her at that hour with such fright in her voice?   
When she entered her apartment it wasn’t a surprise to find it empty, James was putting up the final touches for his international competition, but she decided to send him text. 

“At the burrow, mum called. Don’t know what’s happening, she was scared and there were screams, pls let me know u r ok” 

While taking out her backpack and filling it with a few item of clothing and underwear she thought about what she was going to do for work the following morning, but maybe she hoped, she wouldn’t need to do anything, maybe it was just a scare and nothing real. She stopped in front of the side table, her mother wouldn’t have asked her to bring her wand if she didn’t deem it necessary. She let out a sigh and opened the drawer, took out her sycamore wand and tucked it between a couple of jumpers. Before leaving her flat she looked around, she didn’t know what for, a reason to stay maybe or maybe just a moment of peace, she wasn’t sure she wanted to know what was happening or better yet, she was scared of knowing and scared of sucked back in.   
She flooed to the Burrow and the scenario that was in front of her was something she had never seen before. She saw a flash of her grandmother while she was running around her house yelling to everybody to set up the tent in the backyard.   
“what..?” she mumbled to herself, stepping out of the fireplace she saw many injured people laying on the floor.   
“why aren’t they at st.mungos? what is happening?” she continued asking no one in particular, since no one was minding the fact that she had arrived. The Burrow was a mess, it looked like a war camp and people kept arriving and she really didn’t know what she was supposed to be doing. She felt someone push her aside and stayed flat on the wall, looking at people she didn’t know talking and screaming and crying out for people.   
“MOLLY!” She turned around and saw her dad and instinctively she run towards him and hugged him tightly. He put his arms around her and kissed her head a few times then looked back checking that she was okay.   
“Dad..what is happening here? Why are all these people at the Burrow? Where is mum and lucy..and everyone alse??” She wasn’t sure which questions were the right one, her father didn’t immediately answer. He took her hand and pulled her in the backyard, where it looked like a scene from an apocalyptic film was playing out. They entered the broom shed and her father broke down in tears. She had never seen him like that, Percy Weasley had dust in his hair and his glasses were cracked, his wrinkles looked deeper and his face seemed to have aged dramatically.   
“You know the competition?” of course she knew, James had been working tirelessly to make it work. “we..we..we were fooled Molls. The international ambassadors I had been talking to were under the imperio curse and they overthrew the ministry. They were supposed to arrive today, to sign the contracts my department and James’ had been working on for months…but when they got there…oh moll…it was a disaster. They didn’t even fake it. They started throwing curses around and killed and injured many. There are aurors there right now, trying to take them out, but baby I’m telling you…I don’t think they will, they had help from inside. Our people, they were fighting against us. And Moll….I saw Wilcox.”   
She felt like her heart had stopped. She started shaking her head and felt like screaming, she could have, nobody would have find it out of place.   
“no…no…no…dad it can’t be possible. Uncle Harry.. he arrested him…what? No, no it’s not happening. Is this a joke? Please dad…” she was begging, but she was sure it wasn’t a joke, nobody would have such a twisted sense of humor. She fell down, her dad trying to hold her up, she looked at her dad with eyes brimming with tears she didn’t know what to do.   
“Molly you need to get up, we can’t..you need to help, I’m sorry baby, I know how you feel, but we can’t afford not to have an extra wand right now..” her father didn’t really understand what he was asking her. She clutched her backpack strap strongly than she intended to, her knuckles turned white.   
“where’s mum? Where’s Lucy?” she continued, ignoring what she had just been asked.   
“they’re out there, but your mum’s a healer, so I think she will be asked to back to st.mungo soon…I need to go back to the ministry, I can’t be the one who doesn’t show up again. You understand me Moll? Help your grandma and when things calm down, we’ll regroup here. Please Moll, don’t do anything rush.”   
Her father kissed her forehead and she was left alone in the shed, her mouth open, she didn’t know what to say. Purists had taken the ministry? Where was James? Where was everyone else? Were they safe? Were they…alive? She didn’t even want to go there. If you asked here to put into words what she was feeling, she wouldn’t have been able to. She was surprised, because her father left so many questions unanswered, she was scared, because the people she loved the most were at the ministry at the moment fighting for freedom and their lives and she was in shock, because she never thought anything like this could ever happen again.   
Molly tried to collect herself and dried her eyes stepping out of the shed, she went immediately after her grandma and she gently touched her shoulder. The elderly woman smiled at her with such despair in her eyes that made the young woman weak in her knees, she wasn’t sure what to say, so she tried to put back up her strong front and nodded at her namesake. She would follow suit, she put down her backpack, taking out her wand. If needed be, she would use it. But she was scared to.   
There were many people whose names she didn’t know, they were ministry employees, laying on the ground of the made up tent her grandmother had put up with the help of a few other people. She kneeled down next a young girl who had probably just started an internship in some department, Molly gave her a smile, she wanted to reassure her, but the girl’s eyes looked lost. She had abrasions on her pretty face and a bruised neck, so Molly applied gently the unguent she was given by some woman on the wounds of anyone she saw, even before, she didn’t really have great healing skills. As an auror she was great at adjusting to the pain, so whenever she was injured she just pushed through, which is something her mother hated with a burning passion because her untreated injuries always turned out to be worst that she had imagined.   
When the chaos seemed to have settled, Molly sat down on the back porch, it was the early morning hours and the sun was rising, she was covered in other people’s blood and her wand was poking her stomach from being tucked in her jeans. She still couldn’t wrap her head around what had happened. So she got up and walked towards her grandma, took a deep breath and asked.   
“I’m going to need more details” she didn’t mean to sound so harsh.  
“oh Mollyanne..I don’t know the full details, all I know is that apparently there was a breakout of Azkaban that they had been trying to keep under wraps a week ago more or less and they were on track to getting them and then this happened. I don’t know much sugar…” her grandmother was tired and it felt like she was reliving the past.   
“they covered up an escape from Azkaban? Whose idea was it? Aunt Hermione? Are you kidding me??” Molly was seeing red. They couldn’t possibly be this stupid. They couldn’t possibly have thought it was a good idea not to inform the public that dangerous purists criminals were now loose on the streets. The young woman started pacing until her nana started speaking again.   
“You have to understand, we don’t know the full story…what I gathered is that they had help from the inside, I guess…we just have to wait for them to come back…and hope..”  
“they’ll come, of course they will” Molly sentenced hugging her nana. The latter was right, they didn’t know the full story, but that didn’t really stop her from feeling a little betrayed by her family. If Wilcox had escaped, they should have told her. It regarded her directly. While in the midst of her complicated thoughts she heard many pops one after the other, her family and friends were arriving. She smiled closing her eyes and turning her head towards them. When she opened her eyes, she wished she had left them shut. They were all covered in wounds, bloody and dusty all at once. Her eye was caught by the vision of James unconscious being carried by his father and uncle. Molly sprinted towards them while uncle Harry reassured her:” it’s okay Moll, it’s nothing we can treat here. He was overwhelmed and passed out after the battles was over”  
“so it’s over…you’ve..we’ve..won?” she shakily asked, but the look of sorrow on their faces said otherwise.   
“no Moll, we..decided it would be better to cut our losses and find a strategy to take back the ministry” he father said, passing an hand through his thin hair. Molly nodded and let them get inside. It had been a long night and they needed to at least shower and change, get some rest. She would have time to yell at all of them in a few hours.   
Molly couldn’t really sleep, she was worried and desperate for answers nobody seemed to want to give to her, so she decided she would stay up watching over those in recovery from the minor injuries. While she was watching the sky, she saw an owl enter the dome of protective spells everyone had launched on the space. With the owl it came the new daily prophet which, on the front cover said: A NEW REGIME HAS BEEN INSTALLED. Wizarding world to change for the better.   
And the young woman knew, the purists they had gotten the prophet once again.   
She was reading the newspaper, but it was clear that the news had been compromised, they were describing the fight at the ministry like the purists were fighting for their right to express themselves and that the Ministry, and her aunt Hermione as the Minister of Magic, was standing the way of that. Molly shook her head. How was it possible that once again, they were fighting another war against some dipshit who thought pureblood was better and muggles were to be exterminated? She really couldn’t believe that the world needed saving from this again. She checked on everyone more than she probably should have, even passing a tiny mirror under everyone’s nose to make sure they were still alive. She decided that, of course, she couldn’t go to work on that day and it was probably the first time since working for Shelly that she had skipped a day, so when it got to 8.30 a.m. she called her. Shelly understood, she loved Molly and in her eyes she really couldn’t do anything wrong, the employer even told her to take as many days as she needed to, so when Molly hung up the phone she felt a) bad for lying but also b) good that someone who didn’t know her past self could love her for who she chose to be.   
She looked at James, she felt the sorriest for him. He had been working so hard and she knew it, everyone compared him to his father and this was his occasion to prove that he was equally as good, just at different things and Molly knew he would believe that what had happened was his responsibility, but it wasn’t. How could he know that those ambassadors were under the imperio curse? It was impossible.   
She didn’t hear Teddy sit down next to her. His handsome face was scratched and he had band aides all over his arms, his hair was a sad brown color and his eyes had a veil of sadness over them. She didn’t need him to say anything, he was there for her when she broke down, she was going to do the same for him. So she opened her arms and he tucked his face between hers and her neck, silently crying. Molly realized she was out of her depth, the people who had been supporting her for the past years now needed supporting and she being and feeling broken didn’t know if she could do it, but she did try. She stroke the man’s hair, with her arms holding him tightly.   
“it’s ok..” she repeated him until he opened his mouth and started telling her everything that went down. It was hard for him, and she saw in the way he would stop speaking to try and come up with words which could describe the horror they were faced with.   
“Ten days ago..the purists that were locked at Azkaban..those you...and Florence found..escaped. Hermione said to not alert the public since you know..the competition and all..they would be risking an international scandal and we had found a few of those who has escaped, but we didn’t know that it was all orchestrated. People in your dad’s department, do you remember Alfreds, Miller and Jones? Well, they were working with the purists all along, they still are and when they were going abroad, that’s when they used the curse to bend the ambassadors to their will. They organized the escape and now…Jones is in charge at the ministry. I don’t know the specifics you know, I know that they weren’t deatheaters back then, but a few of Voldemort’s old chaps have joined the ranks..” his voice would break now and then and Molly didn’t want to interrupt him. She was finally getting the whole story, and it was sending shivers down her spine.   
“I don’t know what they are planning on doing, but I know it’s going to be worst than when Voldemort was in charge. They know what he did wrong and they are fixing his mistakes, that much I’ve heard. A lot of people died Moll..so many people, I..don’t know how we’re going to fix this.” His eyes were wandering off, looking around purposefully avoiding Molly’s, because he knew what she was going to say.   
“I don’t either Ted..but we will..we must.” She mumbled..she looked at her fingers and then, getting up she said:” you know, it was a dick move not to tell me about Wilcox. I thought I could trust you Ted. He killed my best friend, you all owed that to me”   
She had been waiting to tell those words to someone, anyone, for hours. The man got up, easily towering over her and nodded licking his lips.   
“I know..you’re right…but it wasn’t my decision to make..I’m sorry Moll” she really wasn’t angry with him or anyone at the moment, she couldn’t demand that they kept her up to speed with everything that was going on when she was the first one who cut magic out of her life. 

She gave a coy smile to him, to let him know it was okay and then went back to check on everyone else, giving him the paper. Everyone needed to know that the press was also under their wraps. People was starting to get up and other arriving from their homes, looking for spouses and children and friends. Molly was getting anxious, all these people coming and going made her feel insecure at the Burrow. She saw Victoire arriving. Her blonde hair tied up in a braid, wearing a sweet pink dress which felt inappropriate for the occasion, but Molly was happy to see her cousin unharmed. Of course she would be unharmed, she did live far away from the action and worked in a prep school for gifted children up north, so she only came back if there were family occasions. Molly walked up to her, but her cousin didn’t seem to see her only to run in Teddy arms and kiss him, to Molly’s utter surprise. 

She was sad, tired, confused and now, once again, heartbroken.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Are we still the Order of the Phoenix?" asked uncle Ron with a smile  
> "Sure, why not?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the longest chapter so far, I hope you enjoy it :)

What followed next was a series of unfortunate events, or better yet, just a complete disaster. Molly couldn’t stop staring at her cousin Victoire and Teddy, all tangled up in the longest kiss she had ever seen, it was like watching a car crash, it was awful but you couldn’t look away from the action. All around her people were starting to be reunited with their families and waking up after their very well deserved sleeps and to Molly that show of love on their behalf was just plain offensive. Sure, she was subjective to the fact that maybe Teddy could ask her to throw herself in a river and probably she would have done it for him, but it still..disrespectful to those who didn’t have their loved ones, right? Only when she heard her name being called she turned around, she felt like she was about to scream to anyone who would stomp on her path, but instead everything and everyone that she touched or brushed up with was ever so slightly burnt by her finger touch, she wasn’t sure what had happened, but she had heard of people’s whose magic responded to their emotions. The guests were starting to look at her like she could actually hurt them, so she decided she would just sit down.  
But then, she saw James waking up.  
The relief that she felt took over all of her emotions for Teddy and Victoire. She sprinted to her cousin and hugged him so tight he needed to ask for air. She hadn’t shed a tear since her father put her up to speed on the matter, but seeing that he was ok, she felt like the air had become breathable again. She looked deep into his speckled eyes and saw the sadness that had overcome him, she knew it would be there: the guilt, the sorrow, the anxiety. So Molly nodded, she knew how he felt, she had felt like that for years. They were together in this.  
Without saying a word she just sat there next to him and continued to hold him, he needed it, even though he would never admit to. Sometimes he would open his mouth to say something, but the words would just die. The young man, her cousin, her rock and best friend seemed broken…no, she told herself, he’s just a little bent out of shape. He’s stronger than me, she continued to think. Looking around in the tent she could see people now were starting to leave. What was going to happen next? She turned her head to James and pointed at the small group of Ministry official, among which their Aunt Hermione and both their fathers were, who were talking in a corner.  
“Let’s go” Molly said quietly taking his hand into hers and crossing the tent to get to them.  
“and I think that we should…what do you want?” aunt Hermione stopped to ask them.  
“uhm..well..we want to know what is going to happen” answered Molly noticing that James wasn’t even looking up, just straight down at his feet.  
“well you and the wizarding world” commented a man whose name she didn’t know, she looked at his face, he could have been both young and old, since he was bearing the signs of a fight. He had a strong Scottish accent and was fiddling with his wand while waiting for anyone to speak up, only a pin on his shirt gave away that he was in her father’s department in the muggle relations office.  
“Moll..James..we need to figure it out, then we’ll tell people”  
“Like you told people about the escape from Azkaban?” Molly whispered in anger.  
“oh..baby..” started her father  
“don’t baby me..i knew these people, I studied them for months before going in and yes, it was an ambush, but I knew them. You, all of you, should have fucking told me.” She wasn’t sure that that was the best way to talk to them, but she was fed up with everyone not telling her thing. The majority of her family worked at the ministry and didn’t even mention once that Wilcox and his pals had escaped, Teddy failed to mention that he was back with Victoire and they had seen plenty of each other recently..so what the fuck, she said to herself.  
“I’ll tell you what is going to happen” she really didn’t know where that came from “what’s going to happen is that you’ll be honest with us, you’ll set up fucking safe houses around the country so that the entire frickin world is not in this backyard, people will have to go in and double play for them and us and pray to I don’t know that you don’t let them escape again. You need to own up to your mistakes and no, you are not above being reprehended because you were at the Battle of Hogwarts, I don’t give a shit. Everyone tip toes around me like I’m going to break in 0.2 seconds, and maybe I will, but the wizarding world deserves better. Me? I don’t know, but everyone else, for sure.”  
She looked at all of them, they were left with their mouths slightly open and then her aunt spoke.  
“The safe houses idea is smart Moll..i agree with you..about everything, I know we are at fault for some of it, but we also want what is best for our world. The safest way to protect everyone is for no one to know everything, I’m the only one who knows everything and it is not a pleasant job, I assure you…you have every right to be angry at us, above being your family you are an excellent ex-auror who could have helped, but you have to forgive us if we didn’t want to put you through everything again, we wanted to save you from that..”  
“It’s not your job to, it’s my decision, it’s my life and it went tits up years go.”  
Her father looked defeated by his daughter’s words. It made him feel like the worst father in the world, but she couldn’t just fake that all would be all right, not in a time like this. Her aunt came closer and squeezed her free hand, Molly knew she always meant well. Everyone always told the two of them that they were more similar than they could have imagined, they both were the brightest witches of their ages. Both Molly and Hermione were able to understand a situation and go into problem solving mode easily, which is why the latter then asked her to be a part of the task force to organize the defense.  
“Are we still the Order of the Phoenix?” asked uncle Ron with a smile.  
“Sure, why not” answered aunt Hermione to her husband shaking her head a little bit with a smile. He always knew how to brighten her mood.  
Molly agreed to her aunt’s proposal, because despite her desire to never use magic again, she understood that Wilcox and the purists couldn’t possibly win. It would be a slap in the face to Florence’s memory and Molly wasn’t going to let that happen.  
The days that followed were the most chaotic ever. Molly would apparate with a few people to big, isolated and abandoned manors in order to give out instructions on how to protect them, clean them and set them up for people in need of refuge. She would be the one to hold a registry of everyone in the safe houses, a map of where those were and she was in charge of getting people acquainted with the rules they had set. There was no going out of the property unless it was authorized by the high ranks of the Ministry, there was no letting people in without them being questioned before, there was training for those who eventually would want to fight and school for those with children who wouldn’t be able to attend their muggle one. Molly had wandered about Hogwarts in the first few days, but it was still one of the most secure places in the world. After the Battle the castle was given every bit of protection magic could afford and also every muggle protection their galleons could by. Hogwarts professors, led by the tireless McGonnagall were loyal to their students and their wizarding world, there was no getting in into that place, so the council decided to let it run, with obvious limitations. The refugees were half bloods who had been hurt in the fight at the ministry and their families, they couldn’t go back to their families’ homes since the Ministry held records of their addresses.  
Molly was finding her tasks to be helpful to her mind set, she still hadn’t used magic since it all started, but she had come to terms with the fact that one day, she’ll have to. She was sleeping at the Burrow, which was on the ministry records but it was filled with technically purebloods, and given every possible protection, in her father’s old room with Lucy and Roxanne and Lily. It was crammed, but it also reminded her of the nights they used to spend there as children, dreaming of their futures and the enchantments they could do once they would turn 17. Tucked up under the duvet Molly was replaying in her head Teddy and Victoire’s kiss. She couldn’t shake it. Why wouldn’t he tell her about them? Why was she even surprised that they were back together? They both were perfect, beautiful, smart, kind and caring, the first time they didn’t work because they were young and stupid, that’s what she tried to tell herself. But still, a part of her was completely heartbroken and sad, so sad that she would straight up ignore the two of them, leaving a room when they entered and not acknowledging the fact that they were speaking. James knew how she felt, he looked at her whenever he would catch the couple kissing or exchanging sweet words and it made him mad, because James had always preferred Molly to any of her cousins, she was easier to talk to, despite being the smartest, she was funny and would never say no to a good prank and most of all, for James, she was the most supportive out of everyone. Was she the most beautiful? Well, that he thought, was a tie. His cousins he believed were all equally beautiful, each unique and different, but of course Victoire and Dominique had that Veela thing which made them slightly more attractive than the others. But James was mad at Teddy, because yes Vic was great, but couldn’t he see that Molly was extraordinary? So whenever Teddy spoke, James’ eyes would shoot at him and Molly was eternally thankful to have Jay on her side.  
James on the other hand had told everyone that he wouldn’t do anything, because this mess was his fault and despite everyone repeating that it wasn’t there was no budging him. So Molly took it as a personal challenge to make him feel better, because he had done the same with her, so the least she could do was try. Molly was still going to work at the book store, she couldn’t just quit, she didn’t want to, and so she always took her cousin with her and always dared him to do weird thing that would eventually make him laugh. If there was a way to make James Sirius Potter do anything was to dare him that he couldn’t do it. So Molly challenged him to read books and sort out documents and watch films and drink. She wasn’t going to make him to anything that would burden him, that wouldn’t have been fair, but here and there they would talk and Potter’s oldest would sit, usually on a pile of books and just shrug his shoulders.  
“How could I be that stupid? Why would they have gone for my idea if not for this? I was so naïve Moll”  
“No you weren’t, it was a great idea, I wish it could still be possible..” and as she said that an idea popped into her head, yes times were dark, but they needed a little pick me up every now and then and movie Monday wasn’t going to cut it. “Jay, what if we do it in our family? It can become a little tradition, we cane a little fun and you and I will be the judges…come on, Merlin knows we need it” she batted her lashes at him and he just nodded, that would was enough for her to text the family and inform them and she was categorical, everyone was going to partake, for James.  
The following days the cousins started setting the competition up. Well, James did and Molly controlled that everything looked good, she organized the matches and who was fighting who, she lay down the fundamental rules and decided she was going to work on banners, because, why not? She wanted to celebrate the idea her cousin had had, the fact that they were still alive and well and fighting. So took one of her grandma’s old sheets and put it on the table, stood up on a chair and with a paintbrush in her hand started to visualize what she was about to write and draw. She had stopped drawing as a child, because books starting being filled up by so many words she didn’t know and wanted to, but now it had become quite the escape for her. She almost fell down the chair when she heard Vic calling her name.  
“Oh, hi” Molly said looking up at her, she really didn’t know what to say to her. Vic was older, better looking, had her shit together and most of all Molly really looked up to her, which was annoying when you kind of want to hate but you can’t.  
“Seems like I haven’t seen you in forever even if we are living under the same roof”  
“Yeah, sorry Vic, I’ve been busy..how are you?” ok, so Molly’s strategy was lying..she hoped her cousin wouldn’t realize that.  
“Oh I’m great..you know, given everything that’s been going on..I..”  
“I’m sorry, when did you and Teddy start dating again?” she really didn’t understand where that came from and mentally cursed herself. Why the fuck couldn’t she just suck it and shut up, she masked her question, which came out a little rude, with a smile.  
“Uhm.. I don’t know, he came up north ‘cause he wanted to talk to me like two months ago and then we slept together and decided to give it another shot you know..”  
“oh great, cool! I’m happy for you, I never really understood why it didn’t work out the first time around, by this time you could have been married!” she said with a laughter, while her mind was telling her to close her stupid mouth.  
“I don’t know Moll, he seems a little off, I still don’t know what he wanted to talk to me about. He came up and then we started to dwell on the past, got a bit drunk and there you go..i feel like maybe there’s a secret he’s been keeping”  
Molly was starting to get hot, her face reddening, she climbed down the chair and started drawing with a pencil on the white sheet. She was sketching a wizard fighting, hands were hard for her to draw but always turned out great.  
“Well, you know..give him time. I’m sure that he just needs time readjusting to being your boyfriend..” in that moment Molly thought that the friendzone was all she was ever going to get from Teddy, might as well try and help Vic make him happy, right?  
Molly didn’t really pay attention to Vic’s answer, she was realizing that all this talk of Teddy had made her draw him on the sheet, the red head passed an hand over her makeup free face and curled her nose, she really wished she could forget him, but she was sure that even if she were to get to know him all over again, she would fall back in love with him.  
“I’m sorry, what? I was..just looking at the drawing, I wasn’t attention sorry”  
“I know you two have been spending time together, he told me you opened up.. I’m happy to hear about it Moll, I really am.. maybe you could talk to him? You know, cause I’m 32 and I care for Teddy but I don’t want to fall for him if he’s not going to love me like I want to..does that make sense Moll?” Vic had this habit of fidgeting with the tip of her fair hair that always made Molly feel like she wasn’t girlie enough, her cousin’s eyes were looking at Teddy’s picture on the sheet, it was almost uncanny.  
“No..I mean yes, it makes sense Vic, I understand, but maybe..you should talk to him, I mean this seems a little to private and I don’t really want to be put in the middle between you two” Molly though was thinking about her cousin had said she didn’t want to fall for him..that meant that Vic wasn’t in love with Teddy and that meant that maybe Molly could…no, she stopped herself before going there. It. Wasn’t. Going. To. Happen. She repeated in her mind.  
Seeing as Vic was still asking, somewhat begging which Molly found very uncharacteristic and odd, Molly reluctantly agreed to talk to Teddy, but only after the competition, which took place two days after.  
It was a sunny Sunday, James had set up a maze, in which the competitors would have to solve riddles, fight off a couple of not so harmful creatures in the least amount of time possible, then you would move on to transfigurate a series of inanimate objects into animated ones, specifically magical creatures which were harder than muggles ones, and at the end there would be duels. James, Molly and the grandparents were the judges and they were the ones giving out the scores, everyone would do everything at the end the person with the most amount of points would win eternal glory and a trophy Molly had shaped out of clay. Suffice to say that the eldest were those with a bigger advantage, but Molly knew that some of her cousins could hold their own and Teddy as well, he was an auror after all.  
They went in random order, not wanting to give out favors to anyone and Molly had to admit she had had a great idea. Looking at James enjoying himself, laughing and giving out scores with such passion and enthusiasm made her wish she could erase the past week and just make him happy, he deserved that much. The first to go in was uncle George and last was his son, Fred Jr, but the fastest in the maze was, almost unsurprisingly uncle Harry and Lucy was the slowest, which Molly really didn’t understand, usually she was so quick and great at spells.  
The transfiguration part was the funniest by a long shot, some of them even tried to make up creatures to get extra points, but failed and created monsters of children’s nightmares. Uncle Ron tried to transfigurate a table into half a unicorn and half a kelpie, which he thought was so clever, but the weird animal started biting him in the ankles, but Molly gave him a 9 because she loved the effort. The best transfiguration by far, unexpectedly, came from Teddy, they knew that that type of magic came very naturally for him, he transformed an old plate into a baby dragon, which started curling up to his leg, like he was his mum. Then came the duels, clearly there were some ground rules set for the actual competition, but seeing as this was family and no one really wanted to hurt each other, everything was on the table. No giggling spells were speared, levitation, illusions and tricks, they all did great and Molly felt her heart in her chest grow prouder and prouder of this family of hers.  
Grandpa summed up the scores and it was a tie between uncle Harry and Teddy, which made for a great reason to have one more duel. The latter was incredibly happy to be dueling his godfather, so much so that got immediately distracted and Harry took his wand making that the shortest duel of the day. Teddy became the joke of the family, which made Molly blush a little, she felt such passion towards him that she was sure it could be felt even by those not aware of her feelings.  
“Uncle Harry, here is our eternal glory and this very ugly looking trophy I made!! To the winner of the first Weasley Family Dueling Competition!!” Molly said raising her glassed filled with sparkling cider. Everybody clapped and laughed and Harry happily took the cup giving his niece a kiss on the cheek.  
“I’ll cherish it forever!!” he added with a wide smile. All Harry Potter had ever wanted was a family, now he probably had one of the largest in the wizarding world.  
While Molly was sitting down, sort of tired after the long competition, she saw Vic looking at her and gesturing to go and talk to Teddy who was having a go at the pie grandma Molly had baked.  
“Merlin..”she mumbled walking over towards him, it had been a couple of weeks since the day of the fight and since they had talked. She wasn’t sure how to start the conversation so she pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose and slightly biting her lower lip approached him.  
“Hey, second place is not that bad, you shouldn’t eat your feelings for that!” said Molly pointing at the pie with a smile. His bright eyes turned around to meet hers and she felt like she wanted to run. Why oh why was she in this situation? Why was she at 28 feeling like a school girl in front of him?  
“Moll, it wasn’t fair, as a judge you should have disqualified him! I think I’ll sue him” responded Teddy nodding with a smile and chocolate decorating the sides of his mouth. The young woman handed him a napkin and signaled she wanted to sit down and talk.  
“So..you and Vic uh?” her mind was going blank. Why exactly was she in the middle of this? Really not a great spot.  
“uhm, yeah..me and Vic, I didn’t know how to describe it, also I didn’t know we were going public with it, she kind of took me off guard when she arrived two weeks ago.”  
“are you both happy?”  
“I don’t know about her, we really avoid talking about real stuff..last time it’s screwed us over, so it’s just not..deep right now, does it make sense? I don’t know what she wants and I don’t know what I want either, I went up north to talk to her about something and found myself in bed with her, you know she is beautiful and we were confused and well..I’m just not sure. Sure, I love her..but do I LOVE her, you know what I mean? Not like a sister, like love with a capital L”  
Molly rested an hand on her forehead, here she was, again, hearing those two not knowing if they wanted to be together and anger started to kick in her. What was all that gibberish? What did it mean? Teddy wasn’t sure why it was so easy to open up to Molly, she felt like home to him, in a weird way. She was warm and she always listened and her eyes to him looked like the stars and he had been feeling all sorts of things for her since he saw her in that red dress dancing in front him, but he would never admit that to himself.  
“are you 15 or 30 year olds? I’m really confused by both your behaviors. What do you mean you don’t talk about the real stuff? What do you talk about? The weather? I get that sex is probably fantastic, but do you just want that or do you want more? It pisses me the fuck off Ted.. you like someone you tell them. You love someone you tell them, you show them. You two can’t make up your minds about each other and it’s stupid. Everyone thinks you’re so perfect together, but if you both have these many doubts just talk to each other.”  
Teddy was left speechless, he understood that this anger was deeper than frustration about them using her an owl, so looked at her with a questioning look on his handsome face.  
“What?” Molly continued “ Ted you have to be honest with yourself and her, you’re not teenagers anymore, you can’t just fuck around, people can get hurt. Take a chance every now and then”  
“You’re one to talk!!! When was the last time you let go and fucking lived your life like you deserve?” Teddy answered raising his voice a little, opening his arms and staring into her eyes.  
“You’re an asshole”  
“You’re impossible, I thought we were getting back to normal, to being friends”  
“I don’t want to be your friend, I am tired.”  
“What?”  
“Nothing. You want to know when was the last time I let go? When we danced together.”  
And with that, Molly apparated back at her apartment. She needed to be alone, who was he to tell her how to live her life? Did he really think he could walz back into her life and just pretend that she was the same person he had known before Florence’s death? That she would be all loosey goosey and fun and parties and up for any challenge? She would never be like that anymore and what did letting go get her? Hurt. Again.  
She looked up at Florence’s picture on the wall, tears rolling down her cheeks and said:” Did you really have to leave me? Everything sucks since you left, Flo. I miss you” and minutes or hours later she fell asleep, in a fetal position on the floor, with salty tears in her mouth.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Without another word Teddy left the room and James nodded, the latter was relieved that the former had finally understood. 

Molly knew that things had gotten awkward, but really didn’t want to do anything to change them. She said to herself that she didn’t need that energy in her life, not in that moment, when everything their parents had fought for was crumbling down. So, it became her purpose to avoid Vic and Teddy, she did see them and a small, ashamed, part of herself was happy seeing them fighting now and then, but at the same time she was so focused on both of her jobs, that days went by in a hurry.   
The purists had established a very strict regime at the ministry and in all magical communities and started to re-examine people’s blood status, how far down were their muggle relatives? What relationships do they have with muggles? How are they using their powers? Slowly people appeared to be getting used to the extra set of rules they had set: no mixed weddings, no witch or wizard was ever going to marry a muggle ever again, half-bloods wouldn’t go to Hogwarts nor be given wands and those who already had wands were deprived of it. Pre-existing marriages were ended and public opposition to the new regime was punishable by death, which unfortunately had happened.   
Molly had gone to Diagon Alley because she needed to buy some potion ingredients for her aunt Fleur and when she was leaving the drugstore she heard screams, the streets weren’t as filled as they usually would have been, but alongside the people around her she followed the noise which led her in front the Gringotts. She was a few rows of people down from where the action was happening, but she recognized Miller, her father subordinate, standing on a pedestal.  
“We are here today because we have to. This man-“ said, unmasking the chained man next to him and Molly gasped. She knew him, she had gone to school with him. He was Alastor Fern, a bright hufflepuff and a friend to everyone. He was badly beaten up, bruises surrounded his kind brown eyes, blood leaking from his lower lip and a broken nose. He looked around the crowd , but Molly doubted he could actually see anything. “this man was caught freeing mudbloods.” Miller continued extracting his wand from a pocket and letting his helper hold Alastor “why? Cause he thought they deserve pity. They don’t. They poisoned our world. Where is the great trio now? Where’s our Minister? Gone in the wind uh? Where are you Hermione Granger? Oh, and the Chosen One? You have to understand, we are doing this for you. To create a cleaner world. To ridden it from evil within. Now, all of you are going to see what is going to happen if you decide not to follow the rules. ON YOUR KNEES.” He shouted and Molly felt her heart sink. She tried to get to the front, getting her wand out of her cloak’s pocket. She couldn’t let them kill him, but in a split second she saw a green flash and Alastor had fallen dead on the ground. She heard herself scream and everyone turning towards her, Miller was getting down of the pedestal, she had to think on her feet, but eventually decided to apparate away arriving at the Burrow she was in shock.   
She couldn’t put in words what she had just witness, but she didn’t have to. A few moments after she arrived The Daily Prophet got to them. On the front cover a photo which recalled the last living moment of Alastor and following that a description of the facts, including the fact that a mysterious young woman, was seen feeling the scene, which was the reason why she was forbidden right then and there to ever leave the Burrow again.   
She went up the stairs, locking herself in the small bathroom. She felt like she was going to throw up and she did, her world was spinning. She was thinking about Alastor’s parents. She didn’t know them, but she felt so bad that they were to know about their son’s passing like this. No parent should outlive their children, she saw the constant pain her grandparents lived in, she didn’t remember them any other way, but her father had told her and Lucy how much they had changed since uncle Fred had died. Of course, they were still loving, kind and all around fantastic people, but she noticed how her grandma always counted the people at the table and almost said something about him and how she clutched her hands when someone would call Fred Jr in the house. There was a veil of sadness over them that would never be lifted.   
She heard her name being called, but she really didn’t want to see anyone, she also, selfishly asked herself why couldn’t it be someone else seeing that? Why her? Why did she have to witness another death? Getting out of the bathroom she ignored everyone and went to curl up in bed, the room had a faint staled smell, but it was one of the most pristine rooms in the whole house, her father was always neat and tidy.   
Molly skipped lunch and dinner for a few consecutive days, making everyone around her feel nervous and worried for her. She felt imprisoned by her own state of mind, she couldn’t decide what she was going to do and felt like everything she could try and do would eventually turn up like a failure.   
Weeks had gone by since that dreadful days and she only ever ate if she was alone, she couldn’t really bare to be in anyone’s company, but when her sister knocked on her door she told her to come in, but she wasn’t expecting to hear those words: “Moll..it’s time you get up. There’s no more time to waste. They have warrants out for all of us. We have to leave. Now.”

Her heart skipped several beats, how..what..she felt like all of the air had been sucked out of the room. Her sister’s eyes, so identical to hers, looked filled with fear and worry. Nodding Molly allowed her to magically collect her belongings so both girls went down into the living room where all of her family was. They were a nervous bunch, all packed, trying to convince the grandparents that this was the best possible decision. 

“Mum…dad…you have to come with us, we don’t have long…we don’t know when they’ll come” said uncle Bill   
“then we’ll be here when they do. This is our home. This is where we raised all of you..we can’t…we won’t.” answered grandma Molly, holding her husband by the hand. They looked older than Molly had ever seen them, so she stepped up, looking them in their eyes, she felt tears coming up and she murmured: “please..we won’t leave you behind..if you don’t come..we all stay.”.   
Everyone agreed. They weren’t going to leave the Burrow unless the older Weasleys would do so. In the mean time, Molly was made aware that they were going to split between the safe houses she set up and would switch every now and then. It was the smartest move and she agreed. Everyone was either pacing the room, sitting very still or masking nervousness with jokes, Molly’s eyes met for a second with Teddy’s and she felt like she had so much more to say, but didn’t dare to stand up or talk, so she started to look around, she was positive her grandparents would come around on the decision, so she wasn’t sure when she would see the place again. It held such a special place in everyone’s heart, it was where everyone had learnt the truest meaning of the word “family” and now to protect the family, they had to leave. 

“fine..we’ll go..okay..” conceded granddad Arthur nodding like he was still trying to convince himself. He let everyone out first, they had to say their farewell to the house.   
“so do you all know where you’re going? Ok..good..send a patronus as soon as you’re there and we’ll keep in touch, muggle style, right? Less of a fuss, not that traceable for them anyway..” concluded uncle Harry looking around at his family, he took his wife’s hand and apparated away with her. Everyone followed suit and so did Molly.   
When she apparated she saw that Teddy, James, Rox, Vic and her father had been assigned to the same safe house. Her father took out his wand and produced his patronus, a humming bird, and sent it to uncle Harry, nodding he looked at his nieces and nephews. 

“come on now guys..let’s go inside.” 

Molly remembered that manor, it was one of the first ones she had found. It was big against the bare surroundings of the woods in the background, some parts had been reconstructed since she first saw it. She remembered she had located there three families: the parents all worked at the ministry at the auror department, in different positions, only two of them were aurors, but they were all equally endangered. Alongside them Molly had decided to take their remaining grandparents, so that they could look after the young children two of the couples had. The other couple was composed of Penelope Clearwater, his father’s school girlfriend, and her husband, John Ford, whose twin children Molly knew from her Hogwarts days. They were all there and when they heard the distinguished pop sound they came to welcome there.   
“Percy..” smiled Penelope, her father always spoke well of the woman, she was gentle and smart and the years had been good with her. She was wearing her long dark hair up in a bun, her eyes barely showed the signs of the time, her smile warm and kind. They had broken up because both of them wanted to concentrate on their jobs, but they still cared for each other, it was obvious.   
“Hello Penelope, John..everyone, thank you for welcoming us here.” Said her father   
“if it wasn’t for your Molly we wouldn’t be safe in here..” answered John Ford, a handsome man, tall with broad shoulders and very thin lips.   
The girl curled her noise at her recognition, she really didn’t want that, it wasn’t the reason why she had decided to help, but it was nice to feel useful for once. Molly was on edge since she had been place with two of the people she had no intention of speaking to, but it was going to be very tough to avoid them. She shared a room with Roxanne and James, her father, unknowingly of her pain, put Teddy and Vic in a small room together.   
“So what do you think is going to happen next?” questioned Roxanne looking at her cousins who had been sitting in silence on top of the duvet, Roxanne looked so much like aunt Angelina, with the exception of her lips and mannerism, that was entirely uncle George’s. Rox put a hand on her left hip and raised her brows waiting for answers nobody really had.   
“I don’t know Rox, we stay here, we wait? I..” James started shrugging his shoulders looking at Molly, waiting for her to speak up.   
“Oh, you’re really looking at me for answers? How can I know? I tuned out four days ago. I know as much as you do..those two probably know more..” said Molly pointing up her index to the ceiling indicating the room above occupied by the couple.   
“Oh for fuck’s sake Moll, care to fill me in on why we’re icing them out? Because you know I’m always on your side, but what did they doooo?” argued Rox plopping on the bed next to the other two. James stared at her and shook his head, Molly had never confessed her feelings for Teddy to anyone else apart from Florence and James, not because she couldn’t trust anyone else, but simply because she knew they would treat that secret like one of their own. At this point, she felt like Rox deserved to know, she was younger than them, but she had always been a great ally to both of them in anything they wanted to do. So, Molly came out with it, narrating not just the past months and their previous fight, but everything else she had gone through, silently, faking that everything was all right.   
Roxanne was left speechless, which was unusual. She hugged both of her cousins simultaneously giving then kisses on their foreheads. At that moment, Molly knew she had made the right decision in confiding in her.   
They spent some hours setting up their room and talking about each other lives, it had been a long time since they were given this much time to connect with each other and with such a large family it was always difficult to stay on top of everyone’s news. Rox did had up introducing Annie to her parents, which were incredibly supportive of course, Fred Jr on the other hand was very inquisitive, he was not going to let the first stranger be with his sister, but eventually came around on Annie, she was after all a lovely woman. She was a little older than Molly and worked as a seamstress, but her dream was to be a designer, at the moment Rox knew that she was safe, since her family was pureblood and that no one else knew about them.   
They heard a knock on the door and it was Teddy and Vic, who entered the room without waiting to be allowed to. They sat on the other bed and with raised eyebrows Vic asked:” so why are you all avoiding us and didn’t come and talk to us?”  
Molly snorted and stood up leaving the room, she was not going to indulge that, she had every right to feel angry at them. James and Rox however stayed in the room, and Molly heard them because the former raised his tone of voice.   
“Cause everything is about you two I’m assuming, right? Maybe we just felt tired or maybe we just really didn’t want to interrupt the happy couple or maybe, just maybe it’s not always up to us to come to you? Is there a rule about that? I really don’t remember!”   
“Oh come on mate, why are you being like this, if we did something we apologize, but at least we should know what, right?!” answered Teddy   
“Shit, how can I say this without sounding like a dick..i guess I can’t, so here it goes..you’re both selfish people who don’t care who they hurt while trying to pleasure each other intermittently. Oh and you know what, I kept your secret, but FUCK IT! You either commit to one another or you fucking stop having sex with each other every now and then whenever you’re bored and if you decide to continue to do that, next fucking time please avoid using my childhood bedroom you fucking idiots.” Not only Molly heard that, but the entire house since James had almost screamed. She felt like she had been frozen, James had also lied to her about this, which made her angry, but she instantly knew it was because he didn’t want her to hurt more. 

Teddy and Vic didn’t know what to say to him back, opening their mouths and closing them a couple of times. 

“I don’t understand, who have we hurt..?” asked Victoire with cheeks flushed red

“oh..”Teddy sighed and stood up, he understood. He had known for a while, but really didn’t want to admit it, because that would hurt him as well. He had realized that Molly liked him, but what scared him the most was that he actually liked her back, but couldn’t like her. She was Molly, she was his cousin..more or less. He couldn’t like her, because he wasn’t a good fit for her, his job would make her worry and she was broken and he didn’t want to shatter her to pieces. But when he was in bed, next to beautiful Vic, his mind would wander to her lips curving in a smile and her cherry blonde hair dancing over her shoulders. When he went up north to talk to Victoire he was going to talk about Molly, he wanted to tell Vic he felt all these, but ended up having sex with his ex girlfriend. And sex was great, they both knew how to pleasure the other, the soft spots and what drove them crazy, which led Teddy to believe he really didn’t like Molly like that, ‘cause he couldn’t picture having that kind of sex with her. He thought about sex with Molly, sometimes, but would tell himself that he should be ashamed of himself, so he would stop usually after slapping himself on the face. But he did imagine how it would feel kissing her full lips and how much softer she would feel compared to Vic. But it wasn’t fair to either of them, he should just be content that someone like Vic even wanted to have sex with him. It was sex right? He wasn’t sure, they really hadn’t talked about feelings, he wasn’t sure where they stood with that.

Without another word Teddy left the room and James nodded, the latter was relieved that the former had finally understood. 

Molly was walking in the grounds around the house, she was exhausted. Mostly angry at herself, she was the one who allowed him back into her life. She made this mess, he had never actually said anything that would show he cared more than a cousin would for her. It was all her fault, again. The days had gotten longer, so even though it was 7.00 p.m. it was still light and warm outside, Molly’s shirt was flapping with the light breeze of that spring night, she didn’t want to go back inside, why would she do that? To have very embarrassing conversations with everyone? No thank you. She decided to walk around, she wasn’t sure where they had set the limits of the house, technically they were in the middle of nowhere. The grass was filled with white daisies and it looked so tempting that Molly lay down, between the flowers, with her eyes closed. Images were flashing under her eyelids, like a compilation of her life’s failures: Florence’s death, dancing with Teddy, witnessing Alastor’s death. In between all of these she saw James’ smile, her parents and sister, and again dancing with Teddy. She was sure she didn’t have mixed emotions, she just hated that she was in love with him.   
She heard him calling her but decided she wasn’t going to answer. She really didn’t want to fight right now, despite being sad it was peaceful, but she knew he wasn’t going to stop there, clutching her bag (she decided to carry a bag with an expanding charm and some useful things in it because one could never know what was going to happen) she turned her head towards him and slowly opened her eyes.   
“Moll..”said Teddy sitting down next to her, he desperately wanted to touch her, but avoided doing it, he was there to talk, but he didn’t have the time. A few seconds after he opened his mouth an explosion broke the quiet around the house. Both of them stood up running towards the noise and saw a group of people entering the property with wands out screaming curses, she saw her dad Percy getting out of the house and shout at them:” LEAVE!!! NOW!!! EVERYONE!!” 

She didn’t even have the time to look back at her family that she felt Teddy’s hand take her and apparate away. 

She opened her eyes, they were in a forest, she didn’t know where, she looked at Teddy, who was performing some spells around the ground to protect them.   
“What..where are we? Why didn’t we stay? Teddy we should have helped them. My dad.. everyone..James…” she murmored looking at him.   
“We had to leave Moll, they found us, they were looking for you.”  
“What?”  
“yeah. I know I said no more lies, but we have known for a while..they were out for you. You know the woman you killed when..Florence died? She was Wilcox’s partner. He wants revenge as much as he wants halfbloods dead.” Teddy approached her, but she signaled him to stay away.   
“I had to protect you Moll..I’m sorry, we all want you to be safe”  
It was her fault, once again, she felt like she was going to lose it and screamed. They wanted them to find her, she was going to end this. She was going to offer herself so that everyone in her family would be safe, she was sure that that was her job, that would be the way in which she would redeem herself. Teddy embraced her and started rocking her. Molly quickly realized that nobody could her them, not with Teddy’s charms around the ground and as quickly as she realized that she also understood that they were alone. 

They were alone and she didn’t know if anyone was alive.

Teddy looked at the young woman and his heart was broken from all the pain he knew she was feeling, so decided that even if she didn’t want him to, he would hold her a tight as he could. He would never let anyone hurt Molly, he promised allowing himself to smell her hair with his eyes closed.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He deserved love, a parent's love.

Molly knew she would never adjust to being on the run. She thought she had prepared useful things in her little bag, but seeing Teddy’s made her kind of ashamed at the fact that she used to consider herself an auror like him. He had packed a tent, some food, clothing and a few potions. The man didn’t allow Molly to do anything the first few days, not because he didn’t deem her capable, on the contrary, but he didn’t want her to have to use magic when she so clearly had been avoiding to all these years. Moreover, he understood that Molly’s guilt was literally eating her up. She hadn’t spoke to him since they had arrived in the woods, he revealed to her that they were somewhere in Galway, he had been there years before to make an arrest and he had always remembered how peaceful and beautiful it was.  
The tent wasn’t big, but had everything they would need to be comfortable despite the situation. It only had one bed, so he told her he would sleep on the floor, to which, again she didn’t reply. The first few night Molly didn’t sleep, she pretended like she did, because she didn’t want Teddy to worry, but as soon as she closed her eyes she saw flashes of the past and started feeling cold even under the covers. She would hear him snore lightly, she said to herself that she should have been nicer to him. It didn’t matter what had happened, he was there to protect her, he was putting his life on the line to protect hers, that counted more than anything else he could do.  
She didn’t mean to fall asleep, but she had been fighting her eyelids for three nights in a row, when the fourth came around her sleep was tormented by nightmares of her family’s death, Florence’s and the purists winning. She didn’t realize that she had screamed, but she did and sitting on the bed she was sweaty and short of breath. Teddy was standing next to her, his eyes worried and his lips pursed in a wondering look. Molly scooted and made space for him in the bed, nodding slightly. That was not how either of them had imagined their first time sleeping with each other, but as soon as that thought crossed their minds they tried to forget it. They didn’t even touch, both of them lay still over the mattress eyes staring at the tent ceiling. The young woman licker her lips, was she supposed to say something? How could she go back to sleep a) when she was scared shitless of the nightmares she was sure she was going to have and b) the man she had been secretly in love with for years was right there next to her. That thought actually brought a smile to her face, she realized that that was the most normal thing that had happened to her in the past months and for the first time in a while she felt like a normal person, which in return made her burst out laughing. Teddy looked at her like she had just said something really worrying, but she just couldn’t stop herself from laughing which actually brought tears to her clear eyes.  
“what..?” he asked with half a smile on his face, his beard was growing, which made him look more mature, but even more attractive to Molly’s eyes.  
“I’m sorry..”she answered with a smile shaking her head, those were the first words she had spoken in four days “it just so absurd and for a second there I felt like a normal person, but then I remember what the fuck is happening and now I guess it’s not that funny..” she gestured with her hands, she always did when she started to speak quickly. She looked around the tent, everything was quiet, it felt like time stood still. She felt Teddy’s eyes on her, she knew he was assessing whether she was going crazy or not, so she fixated her sight on a bottle on the table, while fidgeting with the ring she always wore on her left middle finger.  
Teddy stretched a hand to touch Molly’s bare arm and make her turn her face around, when she raised her eyes she felt his presence so much closer than she had anticipated and her brain started going foggy, but she couldn’t let that happen. Teddy looked at her, couldn’t do anything else but that, not just because she was the only other person there, but simply because she was so pure. Molly wore her heart on her sleeve which made Teddy appreciate her so much more, plus she also looked beautiful underneath the moonlight, but he forbid himself from saying that. He couldn’t.  
“Molly..” he started, but she didn’t let him finish.  
“I’m afraid that if I fall back asleep I’ll have nightmares of everyone dying..can you maybe, hold my hand?” she asked him. They could do that, right? Just hold hands underneath the covers. Teddy would have liked to tell her that she could literally ask him to do anything for her and he would have done so.  
“of course” he said instead, taking her hand and sliding under the duvet. Molly followed suit, their hands were the only part that touched, their bodies were so far apart that they didn’t even feel their warmth.  
“thanks…er..goodnight Ted” Molly murmured before closing her eyes with her face towards the man next to her. Teddy just lay still, he knew he wasn’t going to sleep. He hadn’t slept greatly the previous nights, he said to himself that no one was going to find them, but always tried to stay awake for any sounds and intruder which fortunately didn’t come.  
“Goodnight Moll..you’re..beautiful” he whispered under his breath, but the girl didn’t hear him, she was finally fast asleep. Not that her sleep was easy, she saw her father dying with blood covering his face, her sister bent in an unnatural position without breathing and her mother fighting and being killed and Molly was like frozen looking at them without being able to run and help them. In her nightmare she was wandless, her feet cemented to the ground and despite how much she tried she couldn’t scream to warn them. Teddy held Molly’s hand a little tighter when she started turning and twisting under sheets, he understood since he had the same nightmares of the people he loved dying, granted his parents were all ready dead and so was here grandma who had peacefully died in her bed in her sleep.  
The night passed and Molly woke up in the early hours of the morning, her fingers entwined with Teddy’s, the man’s eyes closed, his faced relaxed but his body almost on the floor, which made her smile. He wanted to give her space. She let go of his hand, which felt unnatural after so many hours of holding it, she got up and moved Teddy’s legs gently towards the centre of the mattress, covering him back with the duvet. She stared at him for a second, he was beautiful. His hair was back to what she knew was his natural color a darkish brown, she knew it happened when he was being more serious than normal. Teddy was the one getting food, since he could morph so easily he would pop in the nearby village and buy groceries and supplies, so Molly thought that it would only be fair to show him she appreciated him. Tying her hair back in a low bun, she started making breakfast. The light was coming him from the outside, but it looked like a gloomy day, she cracked the eggs in a bowl and mixed them with flour, milk and some sugar to make pancakes. While the pan was warming up, Molly went to the bathroom and changed into a pair of high-waisted jeans and a sweater with the ravenclaw insignia over it. There was a tiny mirror over the sink and Molly stared at her reflection for a few seconds, her eyes were puffy, with dark circles, her full lips were chapped. She would have wanted to make an effort, but didn’t really pack anything to make herself look beautiful, only her perfume which she applied a little of on her neck and wrists.  
Teddy woke up while Molly was flipping the pancakes and putting them on a plate with a little butter and maple syrup on top. She put the kettle on and smiled at him, he was still trying to process that act of kindness, not that it was out of the ordinary Molly, she was kind with her people, but Teddy thought that she was mad for being lied to by almost everyone. He stretched getting up and passed an hand over his face, approaching the young woman handing him a cup of tea. She raised her eyebrows, indicating the pancakes with her face and said:” Peace offering?”  
Teddy took the mug and sipped for a second before answering her, he kind of liked seeing her a bit jittery and unsure, he wasn’t sure if she was like that because it was him in front of her or because of the whole situation, but then decided to smile to her.  
“Thought you’d never ask. Come, let’s eat.” Said Teddy pushing a chair out of the small table to make Molly sit next to him.  
They weren’t sure how many days had passed since they left the safe house, according to Molly it had been 13 days, according to Teddy it was at least 15. So they settled on 14 days, in those days they had established a routine, which was something Molly desperately missed. She missed waking up in her bed and James making her breakfast, getting out of the tube at the same time and spending all her time in between shelves brimming with books of all sorts. She didn’t have any books there, but she didn’t want to complain to her adventure partner, however, he saw how bored she was, so when he went out for their food shopping he brought back a deck of cards, a couple of books she had never read and a board game.  
“So we know how to spend our nights? And days..? I don’t know, it’s something” he spat out when she was opening the bags. Molly could have kissed him in that second, instead she stayed there but couldn’t help but smile with everything she had. Her eyes had lit up.  
“you’re great, thanks, this is fantastic”  
He was proud of himself for that and when she said those words he felt his cheeks blush a little, so he bit his lower lip and turned around to put away the shopping.  
He wasn’t sure what they were supposed to be doing, he would try and make contact with the others, but he didn’t want to risk outing them to the purists. They really didn’t have a plan for after they went into hiding, everyone had been briefed on the fact that if the purists got to them they had to get Molly to safety and stay away with her, they shouldn’t reach the other safe houses and should wait to be contacted, George had reactivated his old radio channel so they should be tuning in every night and hear if there were instructions. The radio, like in Voldemort’s days, was the only way of getting reliable news about what was happening and it was soothing for the both of them knowing that their family and friends were safe and still alive, even though disappearances were starting to get more frequent the more time passed. Sometimes there wouldn’t be news for days and they would worry more, because what usually followed what the information that someone got killed or attacked and that their resistance was being hunted everywhere. Teddy was able to get hold of the Daily Prophet that week, there was a giant picture of Molly on the front, she was deemed public enemy number one, “for having killed Arabella Wilcox, the pureblood wife of our great leader Aldous”.  
“So now he’s the leader?” said Molly staring at her face on the paper. It was an old picture of her, it had been cropped out of one of the Weasley family photos and the girl wondered where they had found that, she was sure it wasn’t in the public record. She had longer hair and a different shape of glasses, she wore less make up and she realized that had been taken some time before she started as a trainee auror.  
“apparently..that’ s a nice picture of you at least! They could have used those of when you dyed your hair blonde..and by the way, why would ever do that?”  
Molly knew precisely why she had done that. She thought that maybe if her hair was blonde Teddy would notice her over her cousin, he clearly didn’t notice her for the right reason and her hair instead of being effortlessly blonde like her cousin’s, was a flat canary color which lasted about a week before her mother said that she had had enough of that nonsense and a spell casted the dye away.  
“er..you know, I was fifteen, I wanted to try something different..” she hoped the explanation would be enough. They hadn’t spoke of their fight and Molly wished it would stay that way, things were okay between them, they had lost their ease with each other since she had seen him kiss Vic, in fairness Molly thought it was her fault, he had never promised her anything but friendship, it was her fault if she believe he could see her like something more in her. The girl was reading the paper, it recounted the “great” rules that the new ministry had established, they had interrupted all relations with the muggle prime minister and were on the path of war with them, because “we deserve to be seen”.  
“oh, this fucking asshole” she muttered in between her breath, feeling Teddy’s presence behind her, he leaned over her shoulder to read the article. She felt his emotions, they were hers. They were shocked at the fact that this was really happening in their world. Molly looked up at him, their faces were the closest they had been in weeks, staring into his bright blue eyes she felt a little safer, but she was the first one to look away. She wasn’t going to indulge in fantasies. Turning away she didn’t see Teddy clench his fists, he was so torn and he knew it was all his fault. He was never going to admit that what he felt for the young woman in front of him was something he had never experienced with anyone, not even Vic, with whom he thought he had been in love. When he was with Molly he felt his guards come down, his all body relax and his heart beat in his hears, whenever she got closer to him he felt this utter urge to hold her and kiss her and that he loved the way her hair smelled, even in this situation, where she didn’t have her beauty products her hair smelled like a summer’s day. But Molly wasn’t aware of his feelings, let alone this thoughts that he didn’t dare to express, not even to himself.  
Molly’s head, on the other hand, had always been this confused, even though in the years after Florence’s death, after he had pushed everyone to the margins of her life, she had sort of forgotten her feelings, but whenever she would see Teddy at family gatherings, she realized that her feelings were only sleeping and waiting to see his chiseled kind face.  
Now, her head was also filled with guilt about the present situation, she did kill Arabella, she didn’t know precisely who she was and didn’t want to find out. She remembered her though, she wasn’t a particularly beautiful woman, short with thin lips, dark make up around her hazel eyes and hair flaming red loose in untamed curls on her back. She had seen her curse Florence, usually aurors are trained not to kill, but to use adequate force to arrest and end the conflict, but Molly however had reacted with a spell that backfired and killed her right on the spot. She didn’t know that had happened until after Florence was pronounced dead and, if she had to be honest, she wasn’t sorry. Florence’s family was actually grateful, because they knew that they could never forgive the person who took away their light. Molly knew that in the end, she would have to face Wilcox, but she hadn’t used magic in over 6 years and she wasn’t sure she was able to anymore. Shaking off this feeling, she took the book Teddy had bought and went out of the tent, it was a nice but cold day, she sat on the ground and began reading, wishing to be taken away from this world.  
“Moll, come in” urged her Teddy, she heard him fiddle with the radio, so she run inside standing up next to him and waited for the program to hopefully start.  
“We come at you with sad news today friends..” it was her uncle George, which in a way was reassuring, but his words made her panic “ we are in contact with the muggle prime minister and Wilcox has officially declared war on them. It’s going to be a blood bath, please stay hidden and if you can, cast protection spells on your muggle friends and neighbors, we don’t want anyone to die. Now, I’ll let the chief speak.” Molly instinctively took Teddy’s hand, she needed human contact at that moment.  
“thank you” it was aunt Hermione “the situation is absolutely devastating, but we are here. We are fighting and we will not let them win easily. I can’t tell you what it is that we are doing, but I promise you, we have not abandoned you. And to those out there, specifically, the public enemy number one: keep doing what you’re doing. We’re safe.” Molly’s cheeks were streamed with tears.  
“now with today’s missing people: John Mcrose, Jill and Adam Reding, Ambrose McDonald, Faye Maya and Charles Westover, Ian Mailer, Mary Christine Kim and Ben Edwards. These are the ones that have been reported up till yesterday, if you have any news on them, please let us know, you know how.” They did. The resistance had used aunt Hermione’s coins to pass messages and would distribute the coins to the safe houses and in return they would pass them around to the rest of the wizarding world. It was dangerous, but they had to find a way. Also, they had been improved and tracking spells were put on them , so that before following a lead the resistance could verify where it was coming from and avoid ambushes in case the coins had gotten in the wrong hands. “we can’t transmit any longer today, but we’ll be back as soon as we can. Please stay safe, good night friends.” Said uncle George and Teddy turned off the radio and looked at the woman next to him. He felt desperate. He felt useless, sure he was protecting Molly, but he couldn’t help but feel like he could be doing more even while still protecting her. He felt like his parents’ sacrifice had been for nothing and let go of Molly’s hand and stormed off out of the tent. 

The woman wasn’t sure of what she was supposed to do, did he want to be alone? Did he want her around? She had to try at least. She went out and he was punching a tree, with blood starting to run over his long fingers. 

“Hey..hey..” she murmured stopping his hands, he looked at her, and she saw anger on his contracted face.  
“My parents died to save this fucking world and here we are again.” Molly was waiting for him to tell her that it was all her fault, but that sentence never came. He fell on the ground, looking at his hands scratched and bloody and breathed out. 

“they died for nothing, you know? They left me alone in this world and it was for nothing because these assholes are back at it again. Why didn’t they decide that I was worth not dying for? I.. I don’t understand” he said, his voice shaking. Molly was standing over him, there wasn’t a script for when the man you so deeply loved was feeling abandoned by everyone, so she just sat next to him, licked her lips and said:” you know you’re worth staying for right? You know you’ll never be alone, we.. we all love you”.  
Teddy shrugged and kept looking at his feet, so Molly tore apart the brim of her t-shirt and took Teddy’s hands to stop the bleeding coming from his knuckles. His eyes wandered over her concentrated face. 

“It’s not the same Molly…I wanted to be loved by my parents and now, the same threat they died to eliminate is conquering everything and I feel like maybe if they knew it would go like this they would have decided to stay home with me..” she felt her heart clench for him, he deserved love, a parent’s love. 

“Ted..you must know that they would never have left their friends fight without them..they were loyal and brave and I think they would die a thousand times more if it meant you having 35 peaceful years. That’s love Ted. They loved you so much more than you could ever imagine.” 

Molly tied the piece of her torn shirt around his hand and squeezed it slightly, deciding on a whim to give Teddy a kiss on the cheek and a hug. He needed them. 

“you’re worth staying for” she repeated, because she wasn’t sure he actually believed her when she said it. Teddy’s mind was foggy, he thought kissing Molly would make everything better, but decided not to spoil that moment, it was the realest moment they had shared since they went into hiding. However, he wasn’t ready to let go of her and clung to her, so they stayed with their backs on the tree he had punched and their faces so close that they could smell each other’s minty breaths. Teddy’s face was laying on the hollow of her neck and hers on top of his, while Teddy’s arms wrapped her around she stroke his hair to calm him down. It was the most peaceful she had felt in months. 

“Thank you Moll.” He murmured after landing a kiss on her collarbone, which made her both smile and get shivers running up and down her spine.


	9. chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Look at me" he said back

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! I'm sorry I haven't posted in a while, but I have been very busy with my dissertation that only now I have a little bit of time to do my own writing for fun. I hope you like this chapter and if you do, please let me know :)

Molly knew that her mother was facing the most danger every day. As an healer she had taken an oath to save as many as she could, which is why even before they all moved to the Burrow she was still staying at their family home and going to work at St. Mungo’s hospital. She was in charge of the poisoning ward, but in this difficult times she was pretty much wherever she was needed. Audrey was a great mother, she was the perfect match for Percy, they both looked uptight, but only he was. She knew how to make him loose his posture and make him smile and in return he had given her a family, which she had never properly had. In fact, Audrey’s parents died when she was a child and after that she was passed from relative to relative until she was 17 and could access the family’s finances and care for herself, which she did. Only after she had met Percy she started celebrating her birthday and the holidays, only after she had met him she was able to understand the power of a family’s love, which was the reason why she swore that no matter what was going to happen to them as a couple, their girls came first. And they did, when Percy and Audrey would argue they would look into each other’s eyes and then shrug their shoulders and point at the photo of their two daughters and agree that no matter the problem, they had done two good things in their lives. Molly and Lucy saw that love and grew up with the wish of being loved and love back like them. Lucy was in love with a young man she had met in one of her trips, Molly was the only one she had introduced him to, only because she trusted her sister more than she trusted herself and the eldest of Percy’s daughters was enchanted by her sister’s boyfriend. His name was Lawrence and he was from Germany, but his English was perfect, he had a squared face, with piercing blue eyes and dirty blonde hair, he was tall and quite muscular and next to her sister, according to Molly, he looked even more handsome. If you asked Molly there wasn’t anyone who could possibly more beautiful than Lucy, not just because her physical appearance was stunning, but because her insides were even better. When Lucy introduced her boyfriend to Molly, the latter could see how much that moment meant to her little sister and she swore to herself that she would like Lawrence, but it wasn’t going to be a problem. He was charming and funny and, most of all, Molly saw him looking at Lucy the way their father looked at their mother and for Molly that settled it. He was great and Molly liked him and it made her heart happy to know her sister was filled with joy.

Molly on the other hand, she knew she was in love, but never saw anyone, let alone the man she longed for, look at her like she would have wanted to be looked at, so she made due with having flimsy one night stands with muggles who didn’t have to know her name and didn’t care to take her home to their parents, she also didn’t think that she deserved a love like her parents. Not after what had happened, but the days that followed with Teddy felt nothing short of extraordinary despite the awful situation they were in. They didn’t kiss, but Molly felt like something romantic was going on between them, but she was afraid to ask for fear of spoiling the moment. They had become complicit, they had memorized each other’s routines and now they had settled on one that they shared, Molly thought that she would never accustom to being on the run, but at the moment she felt happier than she had done in years. Now and then Teddy would stroke her hair or kiss her on the head and she had to convince herself that he was being brotherly and that it meant absolutely nothing, but she was starting to lose it. The constant questioning going on in her mind of what they were was taking up more space than she would have cared to admit.

“Moll can you come here?” he asked bringing her back to earth. She walked towards him, with a questioning look on her face, he was looking at himself in the mirror, making faces and pursing his lips.

“What are you doing?”

“I think I need an haircut”

“can’t you just, I don’t know, morph them short?”

“it doesn’t work like that, when I morph is not permanent you know”

“are you asking me for an haircut?”

He turned around to face her and handed her a pair of scissors which for sure weren’t made for cutting hair.

“I’ve never cut hair, it will definitely turn out bad”

“ah so you can’t do it uh, and here I thought you were a professional hairdresser!!” he joked “I really don’t care, but I can’t keep stealing your hair tie to take them away from my eyes, please Mollyanne!” he smiled using her grandfather’s nickname for her, which she usually wouldn’t have liked, but in that occasion she allowed it.

“Sure, let’s make a mess, sit” she responded indicating a chair. She knew you had to wet the hair to cut it, so she took a comb and wetting it she passed it through Teddy’s hair. While she was touching them they turned slightly red, which she didn’t mention with him, because she was sure it was going to embarrass him somehow.

“this is actually pretty relaxing” he said with his eyes closed and a relaxed smile on his face, she didn’t answer him because she was concentrated on cutting his split ends, after a good ten minutes she passed her hand through the hair and went in front of him to see if she had cut enough in the front. He still had his eyes closed, she touched his forehead and decided to cut a little more.

“er..i don’t think this is great..” she said furrowing her brows, Teddy was startled to see the girl’s face so close to his, like she was inspecting him.

“pass me the mirror” he asked, taking then from her hand and looking at himself, she had done a decent job, at least the hair wasn’t in his face anymore, but for sure it wasn’t an even haircut.

“Well, I don’t think you have a future in this area, but it’s not that bad Molls” he reached her arm and squeezed it a little.

“Now is as good a time as any..” started Teddy and Molly not understanding him raised an eyebrow , she sat on the small wooden table and looked at him, waiting for him to continue speaking

“I have to know Molls, it’s been slowly killing me away, I mean metaphorically ‘cause you know, other things kill these days..ok I’m stalling, but anyway..do you love me?”

Shit. He didn’t really ask that, thought Molly. Why would he ask that? What was going on?

“What do you mean…?” she answered stirring her eyes away from him, she really couldn’t bear to look at him in that moment, but she heard him approaching her.

“you know, do you love me?” Teddy was starting to think that this had been a terrible idea, things had been great between them, what was he thinking? Was he ready to admit to her his feelings if she said she loved him? What was his endgame? He didn’t really know, but acted impulsively. 

“Of course.. I mean.. like you said right? We’re family…” she answered pretending like she believed what she had just said, she hoped that that would be enough, but she knew him better than that. He was now standing in front of her, with his wet hair sticking a little to his face, but she didn’t dare to turn around, she knew she wouldn’t be able to lie to him if she had looked him in the eyes.

“right..family..” he swallowed staring at her face, he couldn’t look away. She had become in his eyes the most beautiful creature and that wasn’t because she was stunning, but because she was human, sweet, funny, caring and flawed. He would look at her when she was doing something and the way in which she licked her full lips when she was concentrated made him weak on his knees. He raised his left hand and tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear, leaving his hand on her cheek. She closed her eyes and murmured: “please don’t do this..” she didn’t want to be the distraction, she didn’t want to be looked at only because she was the only other person there. She wanted him to want her with his all being, she wanted him to look at her like Percy looked at Audrey, with a mix of love, respect and desire.

“look at me” he said back

She sighed, licking her lips and when she opened her eyes, she his face so close to hers that their noses touched. He moved his hand from her cheek to her back and scooted her closer to him. In his eyes she saw honesty and longing, but she was scared.

“Moll..I..” she didn’t let him finish his sentence, raising her hand to touch his chest and eliminating the distance between the two of them. She kissed him, his lips tasted like mint and when he immediately responded to her kiss her whole body relaxed like she had finally exhaled. He run his fingers on her spine and she opened her legs to allow him to place himself better, he had longed for this, not with just anyone, but with Molly. She was in a state of total euphoria and nothing actually mattered.

His hands touching every part of her uncovered skin, like she was an unexplored new territory that he needed to know. Slowly he moved his kisses to her neck and that caused her to moan between her lips. She felt her blood rush to her cheeks, but at the same time it felt right. It felt right to slid her hands under his shirt, to feel his chest and whisper in his right ear: “let’s go to the bed”.

Teddy lifted her up, her legs around him and her hands still wandering over his abs. Staring into his eyes she lay on the bed and pulled up her t-shirt, uncovering her white underwear. She could see his excitement, so she smiled and when he leaned over her to kiss her she rolled over and put herself on top of him.

“oh Moll..” he murmured when she started unbuttoning his shirt and kissing his chest. She felt his hands between her hair, caressing and pulling her.

“come here.” He said, almost demanded. Teddy knew in that moment that she was like a drug for him and he had stayed off for years and now, she was in full force in his life and despite the world’s conditions, he was the happiest he had ever been. They were both naked now and their bodies fit together like they were meant to, they moved in unison, their hips thrusting against each other. The couple couldn’t help but moan louder and louder. They had both thought about sex with each other, but they had never thought it would be like this. It felt like it was supposed to, it felt like love and lust and respect and greediness for one another. They both wanted the other to reach climax and they did, almost at the same time.

After they made love, the remained silent, intertwined under the sheet which felt sweaty and useless. Teddy was caressing her back with his open palm and Molly was resting her face on his chest, which for some reason she had imagined to be hairier, with the left hand on his face stroking it. It seemed like they had forgotten that there was a war going on outside their tent, but in fairness the both of them deserved that. They deserved happiness and relaxation and quiet. When the young woman lifted her face to look him in the eye he smiled instantly, he didn’t know what to say, his words were failing him.

“so, did I answer your question?”

He laughed nodding and kissing her on the lips, that was probably the best thing out of everything. Kissing her. Her lips were always in his dreams, even when they were younger, even when he was with other girls.

“yeah, I’d say you answered pretty good Moll, but I mean…I think you can do better!”

“how dare you!” she said jokingly pulling herself up and sitting over his hips. Her breasts were still naked and she was no longer so shy.

“I think we should have another go at it, because maybe I didn’t really understand what you were trying to say” he continued to joke, passing his hands over her stomach. She could see his eyes explore every inch of her body.

“I happen to think that I was very clear, whereas you sir? Not so much.”

“oh…oh…all right then, is this a challenge?!” he said with a witty smile on his face, he turned himself around and made Molly land flat on her back. He now was on top of her, biting his lower lip.

“what if it is?”

He didn’t even give her an answer and started kissing her again, moving again to her neck, his hand cupping her breasts and tickling her nipples. His lips reached her cleavage and she arched her back slightly, moaning. He didn’t stop, not until he had kissed her breasts, with his hand reaching down to her sex. She didn’t even know she could feel such pleasure, cause no one had ever cared enough to dedicate themselves to her entirely.

She sighed his name multiple times when he went down on her, her fingers running through his hair and her legs wrapped around his body. He stopped only when it was clear that she had reached climax once again. And even after that, he kept kissing her inner thighs, murmuring that she was perfect. She didn’t want that moment to end.

“come here..” she whispered looking at his face resting on her stomach. “I wish we had done this sooner.. I wish I hadn’t been such a coward about it and had told you how I felt years ago…but you know, with everything that happened…I shut myself off..”

He looked at her in the eyes and nodded, he understood.

“Molly I know..i should have said something, I should have come by more, I made some many mistakes I wish I could take back..i wish I had had the courage to tell you I felt about you, but ..”

“well..” she started “we sort of told each other now, didn’t we?” she smiled pecking him on the lips. “now we only have to face a war and the entirety of our family whenever we’ll see them again”. Teddy was about to say something back when the radio program started.

“Hello folks, it’s going to be a very short program today. We don’t have good news. There was an attack at the ministry’s office a few hours ago and..we have lost a few of our own.” The couple sat up on the bed, both their hearts raising. Molly took his hand and held it while waiting for the voice she didn’t recognize to speak again.

“We have to let you know that unfortunately Venitia Nichols, Robert Creevy and Audrey Weasley are confirmed to be dead, the attack happened…”

“What…NO..NO. NO. teddy what? No…it can’t be my mom…” her world turned blank. She couldn’t see anymore, she didn’t want to feel anything anymore. She didn’t even remember if the last time she had seen her mother she had told her that she loved her. She didn’t even have a chance to see her again. How do you cope when something like this happens? Molly didn’t know how to cope with death, it was clear to everyone, but she didn’t think she would have to do that for a long time. After she hear her mother’s name she didn’t hear the rest of the program. Her mind raced to her dad and her sister, did they know? Were they there? Were they safe? She got up from the bed and started to dress herself.

“I’m going back.”

“no. we are not Moll…we can’t, not like this at least, you have to trust me..”

“Teddy…my mom is…” she couldn’t even say the word. Her mother had died and he couldn’t believe that she was now living in a world where Audrey Weasley was dead. A memory of the past, even if it had just happened. Tears started to stream down her face, her mouth opened to produce gut wrenching sounds and she fell on the floor. Teddy leaped over her and held her until she fell asleep in his arms. He was going to try his best to support her, but he was not going to let her act in anger and grief, it would get her killed and he wasn’t going to lose her, no matter what.

He lifted her up and put her back on the bed, covering her up and stayed there, holding her and watching over her, this person he desperately wanted to make happy and that now was in so much pain he wished he could make it his pain and ease her life. With that though in his mind he too fell asleep, with Molly’s face on his heart.


End file.
